Always Had A Reason
by pdljmpr6
Summary: SEQUEL to *Something Else You Didn't Know* Eliot had a reason for every decision he ever made. Even, and especially, when it hurt the ones he cared about. Eliotcentric multichap
1. I Swear I Didn't Steal It

**A/N:** So this is the sequel to my fic '_Something Else You Didn't Know_'. Pretty much have to have read that for this to make sense, but it's not very long and I hear it's good so I would suggest looking it up. lol. A very special thanks to my beta: _**vickyloka **_for helping me make sure I am all i can be!! lol. 3! But, as always, if any mistakes remain, they are mine and mine alone. Enjoy! -pj

**Disclaimer**: I only own Savannah, but if Dean Devlin wants her too I wont protest. Oh, and sorry for Parker's language...

---

Hardison was finishing up getting ready for their next job briefing, Nate sitting beside him talking quietly. Sophie was up in Nate's loft somewhere doing God knows what, and Eliot had busied himself in the kitchen making brunch.

Parker should be there any moment.

"Okay, don't be mad."

Nate frowned, looking over his shoulder at the thief as she carefully stepped through his door. Her hair was down and she wore her 'I heart Nebraska' shirt, but the look on her face was definitely pained.

Eliot's ears perked at the sound of her voice but he didn't turn, not wanting to burn the eggs and more than willing to let Nate handle whatever the insane young woman had gotten herself into this time.

"I swear I didn't steal it."

"Didn't steal what Park-" Sophie stopped short, halting mid decent on the spiral staircase. When she spotted what Parker was referring to.

Parker looked frantically between her three teammates.

"It was just sitting in the hallway," she explained, "I didn't want to just leave it there."

Eliot froze mid pancake flip and turned around.

"Parker if someone left a bomb for us and you brought it in there I'm gonna-"

They all turned to look at him, some more confused than others.

Eliot's mouth dropped when he realized what they had all been talking about.

A little boy with blue eyes and shocking red hair stood behind and to the right of Parker, looking uncomfortable and uncertain.

Logan.

The boy saw everyone turn and followed their gazes to the kitchen. But, upon seeing Eliot, his face brightened and his every muscle sagged with relief as he shot across the room into Eliot's arms.

Eliot bent down to one knee and set the boy's feet on the floor, but he didn't release his hold on Eliot's neck. He gave up trying to release the child's choke hold when he realized he was shaking and instead wrapped his arms around him tightly, stroking his hair and waiting until his grip loosened.

He could feel the team's curious stares on him but made no move to answer. He couldn't focus on that yet.

Parker leaned over to Hardison, "why is he making those weird noises?"

Hardison shot her a look and Sophie elbowed her in the side, but neither seemed to have an explanation for the boys' strange, loud noises as he cried.

Gently Eliot tried again to get the boy to let go, and this time he did, allowing himself to get pushed back to arm's length.

And then his hands started flying.

Sophie's mouth dropped.

"Is that-" Hardison started.

"Sign language," Nate finished. They looked at him and he pointed at his ear, then at the child. They all looked and, sure enough, hooked behind the boy's right ear was a hearing aid, bright blue, no less.

"I didn't know Eliot spoke sign language," Parker commented quietly.

Meanwhile, Eliot had spotted a bruise on Logan's cheek and the frightened look in his eyes.

_What are you doing here? Where's your mom? _He signed a little rusty at first but quickly getting back into the rhythm.

_She's gone. I was sleeping and then I woke up and someone was there and grabbed me and covered my face, _he touched his cheek, _and then I was sleeping again._

Eliot's stomach clenched and he forced his face to stay neutral, sure if he let his emotions show he would scare his nephew,

_When I woke up I was here and Mom was gone_.

Eliot frowned and gathered the little boy to his chest again when he started to sob.

Nate caught the hitter's glare over the boy's shoulder and a shudder ran through him at the cold, clearly murderous look in his eyes.

"Oh _hell_ no," he heard Hardison say and Nate knew his team had not only seen the look, but had interpreted it correctly.

"No. No one would be that cruel. That…stupid," Sophie said quietly, but she knew as well as anybody how cruel the world actually was and, well, the mere fact that the boy was there meant someone had lost their minds and threatened Eliot's family.

And by extension, their family.

"Yup," Parker said, crossing her arms over her chest, "somebody's gonna die."

---000---

_Savannah scowled down at her physics homework. She understood it okay but who would actually _choose _to spend time on such a boring subject._

_The house creaked around her and she looked up nervously, glancing quickly at the front door to see it was still bolted and locked. She bit her lip. Every light in the house was on and every window and door shut and locked tight, but her Aunt and Uncle wouldn't be back until tomorrow. _

_And Savannah _hated _being home alone._

_Just then a shrill ringing from the kitchen made her jump and she shot up from the couch to get it before the second ring._

_"Barker residence, Savannah speaking."_

_"Hey Sav," a soft, deep, undeniably familiar voice responded. _

_"Colt!" she grinned, bouncing slightly on her toes, "it's so good to hear your voice."_

_He laughed slightly on his end and she could hear him shifting positions, "you're not busy, are you?"_

_Savannah glanced over her shoulder at her homework spread out in the living room._

_She shook her head, "nope."_

_He heard the hesitation and narrowed his eyes, "Savannah."_

_She rolled her eyes at the warning in his tone and sunk back against the side of the refrigerator, sliding to the floor._

_"Just some physics homework. No big deal."_

_"I'll call back later."_

_"No, don't hang up," Savannah exclaimed desperately._

_He frowned, pausing in packing his things into his bag, "Sav, you alright?" _

_"I'm fine," she said, a bit calmer, "it's just that I'm here alone and you know I hate that and I like the sound of your voice," she finished in a mumble. _

_"Where's Uncle Gene and Aunt Marie?" he asked and she could hear his frown. _

_"Away on a business trip. Be back tomorrow, they've got the neighbors looking in on me," she said, wishing to ease the worry she could practically hear coming across the line, "so where've you been? I haven't seen or heard from you in weeks."_

_He sighed, cradling the phone between his shoulder and ear as he pulled out his knives, settling in at the small desk in his motel room to clean them._

_"Been workin'."_

_"Yeah, I figured that. Where at? Anywhere fun?"_

_He was tempted to say, 'only if you find mass genocide and torture fun', but didn't. Would never say anything like that to his sister. _

_"Moldova."_

_Savannah wrinkled her nose, drawing patterns on the bottom of her shoe with her pen, "I think I know where that is."_

_He chuckled softly, "I'm not even gonna think about what they're not teachin' you in school."_

_She laughed slightly and sighed, "school sucks."_

_He paused in what he was doing, hearing a tone of despair in her voice, "what's wrong?"_

_She let out a long breath and shrugged, knowing he couldn't see her, "the other kids…they suck." Really it was only a small group of kids, not all of them, but it felt like it sometimes._

_"What're they doin'?"_

_She laughed slightly; there was no hiding the underlying threat in his tone._

_"Nothing you can take care of from Europe," she shook her head, "it's no big deal. I guess I just…I just wish I wasn't known as 'the girl who killed her stepfather'." _

_"Sav-"_

_"I was asked to Prom," she interrupted, blatantly changing the subject. Ordinarily that would not work with her brother, but she had a feeling this time it might._

_There was a long pause and she imagined that look that was somewhere between annoyed and surprised as his mouth hung open while he processed that._

_"By who?"_

_She smiled. Mission accomplished._

_"Tommy Vaughn. He's a senior." _

_"No."_

_She rolled her eyes, "it's just a dance, 45. Calm down. It's not for like six months anyway. I might not even go."_

_He sighed deeply and grew quiet, "Okay."_

_Savannah smiled at his 'not quite a blessing, but not a veto either' response, but knew he would hang up if she didn't find a way to keep him talking._

_"Tell me about our dad."_

_This time the sigh sounded resigned instead of upset. "You know those stories aren't true, Savvy. We were too little when he died." _

_"Yeah I know," she muttered, a bit embarrassed by the childish request. But she wanted him to stay on the phone. Growing up, her brother's voice was the only thing in the word that ever made her feel safe. It was all she had in the darkness when they would hide. "Please, 45."_

_The house creaked and settled around her again and she closed her eyes, pressing her knees up to her chest and she waited. _

_Another sigh, this one relaxed, "alright," he paused and she shifted the phone to her other ear._

_"Our dad was tall, like a giant. With blonde hair like yours and blue eyes like mine. And he was strong. He's the one that taught us about horses. He would take us riding when mom was inside baking cookies…"_

---000---

Eliot pursed his lips tightly, careful to keep his anger and fear off his face. He took hold of Logan's shoulders and turned him around to face the team.

Staying on his knees behind the boy, he reached around him, using one hand to point to each person, the other to fingerspell each of their names.

_N-a-t-e. S-o-p-h-i-e. P-a-r-k-e-r. H-a-r, _he stopped, _A-l-e-c._

He turned Logan back around to look at him.

_They are my friends. They don't sign, but they'll take care of you. Stay here, I'll be back. _

He waited and when the boy nodded once, he stood, not expecting it when Logan made a desperate grab for his shirt tail. He held it in tightly in one fist while he signed with the other, the fear on his face almost enough to break Eliot's heart.

_Where are you going? _

Eliot gave him a reassuring look, _I'm going to go get your mom. Don't worry. You're safe here. _

He ruffled the boy's hair and moved around him, grabbing his coat and heading for the door.

---

The team watched the entire exchange with fascination. Eliot was never one to allow his emotions to show so plainly on his face, but with this boy he'd been all but an open book.

He turned him around, moving his fingers and pointing at each of them and they quickly caught on that they were being introduced, though Parker was the only one that had the presence of mind to wave.

But when Eliot stood up, signing a few more things to the frightened boy, and then headed for the door, they were all jolted into action.

"Eliot, man, what's going on?" Hardison asked, "Is that your nephew? Savannah's kid?"

Eliot nodded, pausing long enough to shove his boots on his feet and tie them.

"His name's Logan. He's deaf but he can read your lips," he glared up at them, "so watch what you say."

"Logan? But where's Savannah?" Sophie asked, looking confused, "I talk to her all the time and she didn't say anything about being in town."

Eliot didn't even blink at the admission that the grifter was essentially spending quality time with his sister. He knew Sophie craved female interaction and that Parker 'sucked royally' at girl talk. Savannah had even mentioned her conversations with Sophie to him a few times.

"Yeah man, seems like if my only draenei was in town I outta know."

"You're _what_?" Eliot whirled around, the look on his face made the hacker take a step back.

"What? I needed another Paladin."

If looks could kill Hardison would have been a dead man. As it was, he remained standing, as Eliot had more important things to do than remind him what he'd said he would do to the hacker if he turned his sister into 'a female version' of himself.

Eliot turned and continued toward the door, only to find his exit blocked by a surprisingly solid mass.

"Move Nate."

"What's going on, Eliot?" The older man asked, keeping his voice low and calm, not unlike the way one would talk to a caged, angry animal.

"They've done something to Sav."

"Who's they?"

"I don't know," Eliot almost shouted, then closed his eyes abruptly and took a deep breath, visibly getting himself back under control. "But Logan's hurt and she might be too."

Nate took in the determined look in his hitter's eyes and the tense set of his shoulders and nodded, "I'll come with you."

"No Nate. I-"

"You are too close to this," he interrupted, then softened his stance slightly, "I'll just be there as backup."

Eliot snorted at the idea of him needing backup to retrieve his own sister, but nodded once, reaching around Nate for the door and opening it to leave.

Nate moves to follow, but not before sending the remaining team members a look that clearly said, 'don't teach the young impressionable child to do anything illegal' and 'we'll be back'.

The three stared at the door after it closed and then looked at the boy, who stood just as still, staring right back.

"Well fuck," Parker sighed. Sophie's eyes widened and she slapped a hand over the thief's mouth. But it was too late.

Logan's blue eyes widened to a painful degree and his mouth dropped open, perfectly rendering the classic 'oohhhh I'm telllllin' face all children seemed to instinctively know, regardless of their age or background.

Parker winced and glanced sideways at the grifter. "Oops."

Sophie closed her eyes and Hardison motioned at the three of them and then at the boy.

"Who decided _this _was a good idea?"

---

_TBC__- Would love to hear what you all think. You game for another round??_

**A/N2: **I just wanted to mention, I'm learning sign language, training to be a translator, so I'm going to stay as true to the Deaf culture as I can. But this story isn't about being deaf, it's merely a characteristic of one of the characters. That being said, I feel compelled to note that American Sign Language is a language in it's own rite, and not a translation of English. It has it's own grammar and sentence structure, however, for ease of reading and flow of the story, I have written the signed conversations (in italics of the non-flashback elements) as they would be said/translated in English, not ASL._ -_pj_  
_


	2. Family Is Off Limits

**A/N:** Here's the update! Was ecstatic to see so many reviews for the last chap, so many people are on board for this sequel and I am more than happy to provide. **_Milydo, jediyam, BookLover223, TexasPrissy, lilz54, SeaStarr, luna-pendragon, Wah-Keetcha_** (haha, you really think I could start a trend?? Thanks! What a compliment!), _**Petpolka, Mayhem21, vickyloka,**_ and **_MusicEstVita _**all dropped me a line and have made me an incredibly happy girl. Don't you want me to be a happy girl? Then you should review too!! lol. Oh and, btw everybody, I don't know about other writers, but please don't EVER apologize for leaving long, detailed reviews for me. That's EXACTLY what I want. Be as long winded and gushy as you like, lol. Makes my whole flippin week!!

Thanks to my wonderful beta _**vickyloka **_who is beyond all things awesome and takes time out of her busy day to indulge me. Luvya! Also, I have recently discovered a penchent for creating Eliot themed icons/avatars that I'm gonna be posting on **livejournal **pretty soon so keep a lookout and in the meantime...Enjoy! -pj

**---**

Nate gripped the armrests tightly, but wisely chose not to comment on Eliot's driving. He wasn't thrilled with the idea of letting the distressed young man drive in his current state, but he knew where they were going. Nate didn't, so there hadn't been much discussion on the matter.

Still, after the third time Eliot cut off another vehicle and sped through a changing yellow light, Nate decided to try to distract him from their current situation somewhat.

"So, how long have Savannah and Logan been in town?"

Eliot glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, his stern expression not changing.

"Sav's been here a week. The hospital offered her a job as their new Surgical Director and she accepted," he explained, keeping his eyes on the road though Nate seriously doubted he was seeing much of anything, "Logan stayed behind in Seattle to finish up with his tutor and say 'goodbye' to friends. I didn't know he was here yet."

Nate nodded, grimacing when they took a left turn at breakneck speeds.

"And we're headed…where exactly?"

"First to Savannah's new apartment. If she's not there…" he trailed off and Nate didn't press him. They both knew the possible implications if she wasn't there.

"She'll be there."

Eliot glanced over at him briefly. Nate had no way of knowing that, of course. But it was nice to have someone willing say it out loud.

---

Eliot slinked down the hallway to Savanah's apartment, keeping one shoulder against the wall, his eyes narrowed in concentration as he listened for threatening noises. Nate was glad he didn't have to remind the hitter that there could possibly still be danger and not to go in guns blazin'. It seemed the hitter's old habits died hard.

Nate did notice, however, the high-rise apartment Savannah chose was one of the very nicest Boston had to offer. He wondered if she wasn't just as well off financially as her brother. Her penthouse was one of four on the tenth floor and security here was tight. Which did not bode well for their situation.

It meant the men that had gotten to Logan were professionals of Parker and Eliot's caliber.

Nate knew from experience that people like that were capable of anything.

When they got to the door he saw Eliot's body get tense again and leaned around the hitter to see what had him so worked up. The doorknob was scratched up, obviously tampered with and the door itself was standing slightly ajar.

Yeah. That tended to make Eliot a bit uneasy.

Eliot glanced at Nate, giving him a subtle 'stay back' sign and then started to move inside, slowly pushing the door open, scanning the entire room for threats or signs of life.

There were none.

Until they heard a slight whimpering coming from the couch.

When he heard it Eliot threw one more cautious glance around the spacious room, which was obscured by stacks of boxes and bubble wrap and then moved quickly to the couch.

Curled up on her side in a pair of jeans and an oversized shirt, was Savannah's thin form. Even with the black hood over her head and her arms and feet duct taped together as they were, he could tell it was her.

Eliot got to his knees beside the couch and gently pulled the black bag off her head to reveal Savannah's eyes, puffy and red, bright with fear and pain. She shrunk back immediately only to sag with relief when she realized it was Eliot.

Nate approached the couch and watched as Eliot carefully helped her sit up, preparing to peel the tape off Savannah's mouth as her body started to shake with sobs. He gave her a quick once over, subtly checking for other injuries while the hitter was preoccupied.

Like Logan, she had a rapidly swelling bruise on her cheek. Her arms had bruises the shapes of handprints near the wrists and, if she tilted her head just so, he could see a bump forming at the edge of her hairline.

"Sav, are you-?"

"Logan?" she interrupted immediately, frantically. "They took Logan is he-"

"Shh, shh," Eliot raised his hands to quiet her, "we got him. He's safe. Alright? He's okay."

Savannah took a desperate, ragged breath and started to nod, but the attempt at breath quickly grew uneven and shallow, then turned into big, heavy sobs that ripped his heart in half as she collapsed against him. Eliot enfolded her in his arms, moving up onto the couch to keep her more comfortably pressed against him. He caught Nate's eye and mouthed 'knife', looking pointedly at his foot.

The mastermind nodded, getting the message and retrieved the switchblade he knew the hitter kept on a Velcro strap on his calf, slicing carefully through the tape on Savannah's ankles and wrists.

Feeling her hands were mobile again, Savannah pressed her face harder into Eliot's chest and wrapped her arms around him, sobbing uncontrollably while Eliot whispered in her ear.

Nate stood to one side, watching as Eliot comforted his sister, knowing the person or persons responsible for this had no idea what they had just done. The wrath they had just released on themselves.

There was no honor among thieves, Nate knew that much, but he had learned there was a code among criminals.

And those that didn't follow that code _always_ suffered the consequences.

**---**

_Colt's blue eyes were glued to the clock that hung above his classroom door. His eyes hadn't left it in nearly half an hour. His right leg bounced uncontrollably under his desk while he chewed his thumbnail._

_The teacher took no notice of her young pupils' fidgeting. It was the first week back in school after a long summer and she was sure her newest batch of 5th graders wanted nothing more than to be outside enjoying the waning days of summer. _

_She gave Colt a patient smile and he ignored her. She wouldn't be any different than all this other teachers. She would smile and nod, ignoring bruises and broken bones with the explanation of 'boys will be boys' and nothing would change. _

_He knew that. Had accepted it. He wasn't angry at her. But he had to get out of this room. _

_Kindergartners got out of school a half hour earlier than everyone else. _

_It wouldn't have been a problem before. Before the layoffs at the plant that gave so many fathers so much free time. _

_Finally the ending bell rang and Colt shot up from his chair, slinging his backpack over his shoulder and pushing past his slower classmates unremorsefully. He ran down the hallway and burst through the doors, ignoring shouted invitations for a pick-up basketball game that lingered in his wake._

_A mile and a half later he skidded to a stop on a gravel driveway between an old Chevy truck parked outside a one car garage and a neat, small two story house. _

_Inside the garage he could hear cursing and toolboxes crashing to the floor. _

_Colt swallowed hard and slipped inside, careful not to let the screen door slam. He dropped his bag and slinked across the kitchen toward the stairs. A noise caught his attention and he looked over to see his mother crying over the kitchen sink, a glass of milk spilled across the table. _

_His breath caught. _

_"Savannah!" He shouted, taking off for the stairs. A small voice inside him told him he shouldn't shout, that it brought unneeded attention to himself, but he couldn't bring himself to care, "Savannah?" _

_There was no answer and his heart rate quickened, shooting him up the stairs two at a time. He burst into his sisters' bedroom, his eyes bouncing frantically around the pink and white world searching for a small body and warm brown eyes. She was nowhere in sight. _

_"C'mon Savvy, where are you?" he said again, trying to sound casual instead of scared. The bathroom and hall closet both revealed nothing. Finally, he went to his own bedroom, glancing first into his closet and then pushing aside the mess of blankets, but still there was no sign of the little girl._

_"Savannah answer me right now," he demanded in the tone he used when she was to do as he told her, no questions asked, part strong, part panicked. _

_Just as he started for the door, terrified his sister might have been in the garage with his stepfather, he heard a whimper from beneath the bed._

_Dropping to his knees, he pulled the displaced blankets away and breathed a huge sigh of relief._

_She was trembling and tear-streaked, clinging to a stuffed bear with white knuckles, but she was there. She was okay. _

_Or so he hoped._

_Colt beckoned her out and Savannah obediently crawled up into his lap, but as soon as he wrapped her in a hug she yelped and pulled away._

_"Sav? What's wrong?" He asked, eyes wide._

_Her bottom lip trembled dangerously and she dropped her eyes to the floor._

_"Nothin," she raised and lowered one thin shoulder, "shouda' been more careful with m'milk." _

_Colt froze, his face set somewhere between anger and horror. He motioned for her to turn around. When she did, he lifted the hem of her pink sweater to reveal her bare back. And the angry, dark purple bruises already forming there. _

_His stomach rolled violently. _

_"Oh Sav," he breathed, grimacing. He reached out gently to assess the bruising, trying to decide if she would need a hospital. _

_The girl __pulled away enough for the sweater to drop from his fingers and turned to face him. _

_"S'okay," she told him quietly, her voice far too strong and even, "not as bad as some of yours." _

_Colt felt tears spring to his eyes and it confused him. He didn't know how to reconcile the sudden urge to cry with the burning rage he could feel building in his stomach and spreading across his chest. _

_He'd always been able to keep his stepfather from hurting Savannah before this, yet here she was putting on a brave face as if it happened all the time. _

_He cursed under his breath. He didn't want his five year old sister to be brave. _

_"That's a bad word," she admonished halfheartedly and looked up from her stuffed bear, seeing for the first time the tears in her brother's eyes. "Colt? Are you crying?" her eyes grew wide and scared. _

_"Did he hurt you too?" she demanded worriedly. _

_He swallowed convulsively a few times and leaned his head back against the bed, closing his eyes. _

_"Yeah Sav, he hurt me too," he whispered, unable to find the strength to lie. No bruise or broken bone he'd ever gotten had hurt so much as seeing those bruises on Savannah's back. _

_He felt small arms encircle him gently and it broke his heart all over again because she was so used to being careful with him. A warm, wet face was pressed into his shirt. _

_"M'sorry." _

_He cupped her head with one hand and pressed his face into her hair. _

_"I'm sorry too, Sav," he said, then opened his eyes as he made her a solemn vow, "I'll never let anyone hurt you again, I promise." _

**---**

No one wanted to make the first move, so they all remained motionless. Sophie, Parker and Hardison staring at Logan, Logan staring right back.

Finally, Sophie blew out a breath, muttering, "this is ridiculous."

She took a couple steps forward, though it didn't really close the gap between them, and bent at the waist to be closer to eye level.

"I'm Sophie," she started, talking loud and slow, "would you like to-"

"That doesn't help." Hardison interrupted.

Sophie stopped and glanced back at him, "what are you talking about?"

He gestured between her and Logan, "talking loud. Exaggerating your words. Makes it harder for him to understand you."

She straightened, "and how do you know all this?"

He shrugged, watching as Parker slowly approached the boy, sniffing the air as she got closer and circling him with the same critical eye she used when familiarizing herself with a safe that needed cracking.

"I had a foster sister for a while who was deaf," he explained, bringing his eyes back to Sophie.

Sophie's eyes widened, "so you can sign to him, yeah?"

"No no no," Hardison took a step back, "it was a long time ago, I don't remember anything except maybe the alphabet."

Sophie rolled her eyes. "Then what good are you?" she sighed, turning back toward Logan and Parker.

"Hey!" Hardison exclaimed, indignant, "I don't see you steppin' forward to offer anything valuable to the situation."

Sophie ignored him, "Parker, stop staring at him like that. He's not a lock you can pick."

Parker's blank frown remained firmly in place as she hovered just outside the boy's personal space. Logan tried to turn to keep the others in his peripheral vision while keeping most of his attention on Parker.

Her eyes dropped down when she noticed his feet moving apart. She grinned.

"Eliot trains you too?"

She took a stepp back and assumed the ready position Eliot had taught her, the one the boy had just subtly shifted himself into.

At the sight of his uncle's name on Parker's lips Logan relaxed slightly and nodded. He illustrated a quick one two punch and put his hands up, the way Eliot did when he was waiting for his trainee to deliver a couple blows.

Parker tilted her head but gently hit his flat palms with a quick jab and cross.

Her face brightened even more when Logan smiled. She turned to look at Sophie, who was rifling around in the fridge.

"Hey, I think I did it right. It's smiling!"

"For God's sake Parker he's a 'boy' not an 'it'. _Aha_!" Sophie made a triumphant sound and turned around with the ice pack she had retrieved from the freezer. Wrapping it in a clean dish towel, she came back around to the other side of the counter and held it out to Logan.

He stared at her.

"Oh, it's um," she gestured toward his face and then pointed at her own cheek, "for the bruise."

Logan reached up to touch his swollen cheek, as if he'd forgotten it, and then nodded, taking the ice from her hand and pressing it to his cheek.

Hardison had disappeared into an adjoining room for a moment but reemerged with his laptop and went to set it up at the kitchen table, popping the top on a bottle of orange soda before setting his fingers to dance across the keyboard.

After a moment, Logan went to settle in on the couch, propping the ice against his cheek and staring at the floor.

Sophie hugged her arms around herself, watching the boy from the far side of the room, "I feel bad. I feel like we should be doing something."

"Like what? Eliot's already out there hunting these guys down." Parker stood beside her, hands stuffed into the pockets of her leather jacket, still giving Logan that appraising look.

"I don't know, I want to…hug him or something," she said quietly, "poor little guy is probably scared to death."

Parker frowned.

"So go do it," she said, utterly confused as to why Sophie would hesitate in doing something for the little boy that she would do so readily for any of the rest of them.

Sophie looked at her and Parker impatiently shooed her away, practically pushing the grifter toward the living room.

Hesitantly, Sophie gave in and approached the boy, settling down beside him. Logan watched her curiously and she sent him a small understanding smile and opened her arms in the universal sign for 'hug'. Logan stared at her for a second, a familiar war between 'strength' and 'dependence' waging behind those big eyes, before he seemed to reach a decision and flung himself toward her, burying his face in her neck.

Logan didn't cry, but he didn't let Sophie go either.

Parker approached and perched on the edge of the chair, staring at the pair.

"They broke the rules," she said after a moment. "They went after family."

Hardison paused and looked up.

"Who did?"

Parker gave him a look as if she really shouldn't have to explain such a thing, and pointed at Logan.

"Whoever did this."

Realizing her meaning, Hardison turned to look at Logan, practically sitting in Sophie's lap as she stroked his hair and held him close, murmuring comfortingly out of habit.

"Family is off limits, Hardison," Parker said, looking back over at him, "everybody knows 'family is off limits'. Some rules you just don't break."

Hardison nodded, going back to his computer, "well I say we find out who did, and we break _them_."

---

_TBC- would love to hear what you thought! No. Really. I would! I'm not kidding!...please??__  
_


	3. Only the Strong Survive

**A/N:** A bunch of Eliot's smiles, some of Parker's C4, one of Hardison's fake Ids, a glass of Nate's best bourbon and front row tickets to one of Sophie's plays (haha, you know you want to go) for _**inspired-looney, darkloves, BookLover223, SeaStarr, lilz54, spnchick, luna-pendragon, Darkqueenkat, jediyam, vickyloka **_(beta beta beta BETA!!)_**, MusicEstVita **and **Mayhem21.**_ The plot of this one is a WIP. I had it outlined, then the reviews made me realize i needed to go in a different direction, so I've got a new outline but it's a bit sketchier than the last so...bear with me for the updates. This chap is like, double-long to make up for how long it's been since the last chap: Enjoy! -pj

"Don't fall asleep on me darlin'," Eliot warned quietly, drawing Nate out of his thoughts with the tender words so gruffly spoken.

He'd stepped away a few feet to give the siblings a moment of privacy, but he saw now that Savannah was calmed down and relaxing into her brother's embrace.

Savannah gave a slight groan but helped Eliot as he started to sit her up.

"I think you might have a concussion," Eliot said quietly, shifting to look her in the face. "Open your eyes, Sav," he ordered quietly.

She slowly did as he asked, watching Eliot as his eyes swept over her carefully, holding her eyes too long for him to actually be looking at her. Assessing.

"Alright," he said after a moment, "you might have a concussion but only a small one. You dizzy? Nauseous?"

Savannah took a deep breath and shook her head.

"Okay, lets stand up," he got off his knees and stood, grasping Savannah's forearms and motioning for her to do the same, he helped lever her up. Nate stood to one side watching carefully, ready to step up and assist. Once on her feet, Savannah shut her eyes again and her grip tightened on Eliot's jacket.

"Sav?"

"Um," she began hoarsely, "just rethinking my 'nausea' answer."

Eliot waited a beat, "okay?"

She nodded, "yeah. I'm good."

She opened her eyes again and saw Nate for the first time, and gave him a small smile.

"Let's get the hell out of here."

Logan happened to be facing the door when Eliot, Savannah and Nate returned, watching Hardison working on the computer. When he looked up and saw his mother standing in the apartment he made a noise somewhere between a gasp, a cry and a laugh and vaulted over a chair and across the room.

Eliot caught the excited boy in mid-air, inches from Savannah, and placed him on the ground, hastily explaining that he needed to be gentle. Logan didn't call for much more explanation than that and Savannah gathered him to her, 'are you okay's' and 'I love you's' flying between them so fast that no one in the room could keep up.

Eliot made a point to turn and lock the door, then went toward the kitchen, the rest of the team falling into step behind him. Sophie could see the hitter was practically vibrating with anger, his shoulders so tense and tight she was worried he'd burst clear through his skin, so she stayed a few steps back, not wanting to antagonize the volatile man by getting too close. Parker, taking her queue from the grifter, hung back as well, choosing to sit on one of the kitchen island chairs.

Hardison looked up at Nate, silently asking what had happened, if everything was alright. The look he got from the mastermind did not put him at ease.

Eliot kept his back to the room, bracing his hands against the sink, focusing on breathing even and suppressing violent impulses until he had someone to direct them toward.

Nate cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention and Eliot a moment of relative privacy to collect himself.

"When we got there the place was empty except for Savannah," he said, meeting Sophie, Hardison and Parker's gazes in turn. Bubbling just under their concern was a look of anger and vengeance that he knew he shared. He glanced over his shoulder at Eliot, but he hadn't yet turned around.

Still, Nate hadn't allowed him to come this far alone, he wasn't about to back out now.

"Parker go back to Savannah's apartment," he grabbed a napkin and scribbled an address across it, "see if our guys left anything behind, any way to trace them or find out who they are."

Parker nodded, turning on her heel to leave.

"Take Sophie."

The thief stopped, turning back, "Nate I'm more than capable-"

"I don't want you over there alone, Parker," Nate interrupted, hoping she would understand. She gave him an impatient look, but nodded and waited for Sophie to get her purse before heading toward the door.

"Hardison, start checking traffic and security cameras, see if we can get a picture of who did this and when."

"Already on it," the hacker looked back down to his laptop.

"I've been checking all the cameras in the area for the past hour, so far not much to go on. These guys were professionals. They knew where all the cameras were and how to avoid them. I think I might have a partial on a license plate but it's a long shot, man." Hardison told him, shrugging helplessly.

Nate nodded, his gaze drifting past him to the couch where Savannah was examining her son's bruises with a critical eye.

Hardison followed his stare and cleared his throat, "I'll keep looking."

Nate felt a presence beside him and saw Eliot had joined him at the island counter, an open but untouched beer sitting in front of him.

"You alright?" Nate asked quietly, pulling his jacket off.

Eliot gave a short nod, "fine." His eyes stayed glued to the living room, where Savannah had turned on cartoons with closed captioning, stroking Logan's red hair lightly.

He was still coiled tighter than a spring.

"They'll be okay," Nate assured him.

Eliot nodded, "they will be. I'm sendin' em away. "

Nate raised his eyebrows and looked at him, but Eliot didn't move.

"You sure that's a good idea?"

Eliot's eyes snapped over to him.

"Are you kidding me? Somebody broke into their house, Nate. They kidnapped Logan and brought him here. That was a warning," he whispered harshly, not wanting his voice to carry. "It was a calculated move. They want me to know just what they're capable of and that they could have done more to both of them. Next time they won't leave Savannah with a headache and Logan with some bruises. They'll kill 'em."

Nate nodded, understanding the hitter's logic, "you talk to her about it?"

Eliot turned to lean his back against the counter, crossing his arms over his chest. He shook his head, "Savannah's like a pit bull. Once she's sunk her teeth into somethin' she ain't lettin' go easy. She's got her heart set on stayin'," he shook his head again, staring at the floor.

Nate chose his words carefully, trying to keep his tone light, as if what they were saying didn't really matter.

"She might not want to go."

"Don't care," Eliot said a little too quickly, "she has to. Too dangerous here."

Nate shrugged one shoulder, turning the glass in his hands around and around, not yet having gotten his ice. "Yeah but, maybe that's not your decision to make, Eliot."

Eliot finally brought his eyes up, ready to protest.

Nate jumped in before he got the chance, "you're her big brother. I get it. You're used to protecting her. But don't make the same mistake twice, Eliot," he shook his head, "believe me, you'll regret it."

Eliot frowned, looking back down at the floor.

"She's not gonna want to leave."

They both went quiet when a familiar, feminine voice sounded from behind them.

"Why would I leave?"

_Colt pushed open the door to his sister's new bedroom, smiling a little when he realized it wasn't pink. Savannah had always hated pink._

_"Savvy? You in here?" _

_She'd hardly eaten anything at dinner and when she accidentally dropped and broke a plate while doing the dishes she'd burst into tears and ran from the room, but he'd managed to talk his aunt out of going after her. At the tender age of fourteen Colt had been protecting his little sister longer than his aunt and uncle had even been married. If anyone was going to console her, it damned well was going to be him, no matter how well meaning the woman had been._

_"Sav, Marie's not mad at you, you know. You don't gotta be afraid," he tried. He flipped the light on in the room, and winced, his head throbbing painfully. He got those headaches off and on throughout the day, but he was glad not to be in a hospital anymore and wouldn't risk going back by saying anything about it._

_Some shifting to his right caught his attention and he moved over toward the closet door. He swung it open and looked down at the curled form of his younger sister huddled inside. Colt sighed deeply, immediately spotting the tears standing in her eyes and ran a hand through his shaggy hair._

_That same old, worn out teddy bear she'd had since she was a baby was wrapped up in her arm and she thumbed it on the nose absently._

_Colt dropped to his knees and climbed into the small space beside her, shoving abandoned pairs of shoes and a dislodged Sunday Church dress to one side._

_"You okay?" He asked after a moment. He resisted the urge to shut the door, telling himself they had nothing to hide from anymore, and instead stretched his legs out in front of him, crossing them at the ankles. "You know Aunt Marie ain't mad at you, right?"_

_She sniffed and nodded, fidgeting with the bear's green suspenders. "Yeah," she nodded, "it's not like before."_

_He looked over at her, seeing her watery hazel eyes looking straight back up at him. He shook his head._

_"No. Not like before at all." He assured her, giving her a half smile that he hoped was encouraging. _

_Savannah__ just nodded. He caught her biting her lip and frowned. It was a sure sign something was still bothering her._

_"What is it?" _

_She blinked hard a few times, "Do you think," her voice broke and she took a deep breath, though it didn't seem to steady her, "do you think I'm gonna go to hell, Colt?"_

_His frown deepened. Not only did she never call him 'Colt', only the nickname she liked so much, but what would ever prompt his nine year old baby sister to think such a thing?_

_"Sav…what are you talking about?" he tilted his head and smiled, cupping her chin, "you're an angel. And Angels belong in heaven. You know that." _

_She didn't smile in return and it made his stomach tie up in knots._

_"But-but I killed him," she confessed, tears spilling out onto her cheeks, "I killed our daddy."_

_He sucked in a breath and his eyes hardened. Even when dead that bastard was making their lives miserable. _

_"Savannah Dawn, you listen to me," he said, his voice suddenly sharp and serious, "you listenin'?" _

_Her eyes widened at the use of her full name and she nodded. _

_"That man, that monster, he was nobody's daddy. Not ours, not anybody's." He told her forcefully, in a tone that meant she was not to argue._

_"But killin's bad Colt. The preacher said so." She protested in a small voice, her eyes big and trusting._

_ He licked his lips, the child in him warring against the man he was trying to become as he searched for the right words to soothe her._

_"Sometimes…sometimes we do the wrong things for the right reasons. That makes it okay," he paused, seeing the confused frown that marred her delicate brow, "I mean, sure you shouldn't just go around hurtin' people, but this time…well you helped me, didn' ya'?" _

_She blinked at him, her eyes shifting to the back of his head where the newly healing pink flesh of a large scar was still very much visible, only a month's worth new growth of hair forming around it. She reached up with a tiny finger and traced it gently. _

_She nodded, "yeah. Had to protect you."_

_"And I, for one, am glad you did," he drawled, a crooked smile trying to make light of the situation. Savannah remained serious, drawing her hand back down into her lap to fiddle with her bear._

_She muttered something and he bent closer to hear._

_"What was that?"_

_She sighed, "Frank was the only daddy I've ever known," she paused and looked up at him, "tell me about the first one."_

_Colt was taken aback for a moment, "tell ya' about our real daddy?" _

_She nodded, her wide honey eyes all round and innocent and pleading. He didn't have the heart to tell her the few memories he'd had of their father had faded long ago when his mind was too full of pain and fear to hold on to anything else._

_He took a deep breath, draping his arm around her shoulder so she could snuggle deeper, safer, into his side._

_"Our dad was tall, like a giant. With blonde hair like yours and blue eyes like mine…"_

They'd been so involved in conversation neither of them saw Savannah get up and approach them from the couch.

Eliot heaved a breath and turned to face his sister, bracing himself for a fight.

Savannah stood with her arms crossed, managing to look like a force to be reckoned with even with a fat lip and wearing an old college sweatshirt with paint stains.

"Why would I leave, Eliot?" She asked again, looking him straight in the eyes. She'd taken to calling him Eliot not long after they reconnected, deciding it was easier and possibly safer than going by anything else.

Eliot reached for his beer but didn't drink.

"You don't need me to spell it out for you Savannah," he responded. The tension grew thick and hard between them and no one in the room dared move.

"It was a break in. Pure and simple. I'll make out a police report and that'll be the end of it."

"Oh c'mon, you're smarter than that," Eliot scoffed, shaking his head, "I told you it could be dangerous living here, but you wouldn't listen. Always have to have your own way."

"Of course it's dangerous here, it's dangerous everywhere. Hate to break it to you but it's a dangerous world, or hadn't you noticed?"

Eliot's eyes darkened, his voice growing lower even as Savannah's rose.

"I'm not doing this with you Savannah."

"Doing what? Why does everything have hidden meaning with you?" She threw her hands in the air, "I make good money, I have nice stuff and I'm moving into a nice apartment. Somebody noticed and tried to rob us. _That's it_."

"What kind of a thief goes after a _tenth_ floor penthouse, kidnaps a kid and leaves the owner?" Eliot snapped, red in the face, "and then doesn't actually _steal _anything?"

"I don't know," she shouted back, now completely oblivious to Nate standing a few feet away and Hardison sitting at the table somewhere behind them, "but somebody had a reason. That's all there is to it. It had _nothing _to do with you."

Eliot smiled bitterly, "that's right, ignore the facts and maybe they'll go away." He shook his head, "just stick your head in the sand, Sav. Works real well for ostriches."

Savannah jutted out her jaw to one side, face taught with anger.

"You're such an ass."

Eliot didn't even flinch, but raised his eyebrows meaningfully, "but I'm alive, ain't I? Must be doin' somethin' right." He finally raised his beer to his lips, practically draining the bottle, never taking his eyes off his sister, "now take your boy and go upstairs. Don't forget to lock up behind you."

Savannah blew out a long breath and rolled her eyes, signing something sharply to Logan, who leapt up from the couch and followed his mother to the door, sending a curious, almost worried look to Eliot as he went out the door.

Savannah gave him one last look and shut the door.

"I don't really want to talk to you right now."

Hardison paused in Eliot's apartment doorway, a little uncomfortable being the object of Savannah's ire, even if he was pretty sure she didn't know it was him.

"Um…hello?"

The sounds coming from Eliot's expansive kitchen ceased and Savannah's head poked into sight.

"Oh. Hi Hardison."

She disappeared again and Hardison took it as an invitation. He followed the only glowing light in the apartment into the large, commercial grade kitchen. Savannah stood with her back to him between the sink and the six-burner stove with a mountain of ingredients spread out across the generous granite countertops.

Hardison could already smell something heavenly cooking in the large pot on the stove and couldn't help being a little bit jealous that Eliot's cooking prowess seemed to run in the family.

"What are you doing here?" Savannah glanced over her shoulder at him and Hardison glimpsed a neatly cubed block of cheese, diced tomatoes and minced onions separated into bowls in front of her.

Hardison set his laptop on the counter next to Logan, who watched him with big, curious eyes while nibbling on a carrot and banging his feet against the cabinets.

"Eliot asked me to set up a few more monitors up here," he answered, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

Savannah's blonde hair moved across her back in time with the quick, sharp movements of her head, her eyes staying fixed on her cutting board.

"Of course he did," she muttered, whipping a long, straight knife out of the holder and going to town on a bunch of celery. "Ass."

Hardison bit his lip, rocking back on his heels. His first instinct was to turn tale and run. Get the job he'd been sent up here to do done and then leave.

Savannah was clearly upset and Hardison historically had no luck being a comfort to distraught women. And she may not have been a hitter but Savannah clearly knew her way around a knife.

"Look, I don't uh…I wouldn't usually butt in to family affairs," he began hesitantly, sure this was not one of his best thought out plans, and unsure why Savannah's being upset seemed to bother him so much, "but, I mean, he's just worried about you, you know?"

She turned around to look at him, then shifted her eyes over his shoulder, "go watch cartoons."

Logan frowned but, upon seeing the severe look on his mother's face, he obediently jumped down from the counter and left the room.

Savannah looked back up at Hardison, pointing her knife at him to punctuate her point, "he's an ass."

"I didn't disagree." Hardison deadpanned.

Savannah blinked and then dropped the knife to her side, allowing a small smile, "No, I guess you didn't."

Hardison relaxed slightly and stepped up next to her, "but you can't really believe what happened today was 'just a break in'." His eyes dropped to her cheek and then back up to her eyes.

Savannah drew her swollen lip into her mouth and shrugged one shoulder, turning back to her cutting board. She swept the fresh ingredients into a bowl as she spoke.

"Of course not, I'm not delusional."

Hardison frowned, watching as her skillful hands pulled pieces off a hunk of resting dough, rolling them into small balls. "Then why did you-"

"Because, Hardison, if I admit out loud that I know his job might put us in danger, he'll force us underground. He'll send me away to hide," she shook her head, swiping her hand across her face, leaving a dusting of flour on her uninjured cheek.

"I'm not a child anymore, Alec, I'm not going to hide in the closet while he fights the monsters."  
Apparently dissatisfied with the consistency of her dough, she started kneading it again, with much more force than necessary.

When she slammed the lump of dough down so hard the force of the impact knocked three potatoes to the floor, he reached out to touch her hands and smiled what he hoped was 'charming' instead of 'almost a little scared'.

"I think it's dead."

She smiled slightly and nodded, "I um…cooking helps me vent my frustrations."

"Yeah, I'd say so. The asparagus is cowering in the corner behind the olive oil."

Savannah laughed quietly and Hardison found himself smiling, liking the sound of it.

With a deep breath she abandoned her dough and went to the sink to rinse her hands, only when she finished she remained bent over edge, not moving to dry them.

Hardison frowned slightly and glanced around, locating the dishtowel that hung from the oven handle, he held it out to her.

"Thanks," she said quietly, tears in her voice, her head and hair curtaining her face. Hardison just nodded, waiting.

She took a moment to compose herself and then looked up, her honey eyes bright and boring deep into his.

Hardison shifted, suddenly acutely aware of how close they were standing, but didn't move away.

"He thinks I'm weak." She announced, sounding both hurt and angered by the revelation.

"No he doesn't," Hardison shook his head but Savannah didn't let him continue.

"Yes he does. Why else would he want to send me and Logan away from danger, but not all of you? You're his family too."

Hardison smiled, shrugging one shoulder, "he tries sometimes. We just don't let him."

Savannah nodded, "then I won't let him either."

They stood silent and still for a moment. Hardison marveling at her sudden change from vulnerable to determined, wondering if he would ever get a chance to get used to it. Savannah staring up at him, noticing for the first time the way his body seemed to radiate heat and strength, overwhelmed in a way she wasn't sure she had ever been before.

"What?"

Hardison blinked, "hm?"

A grin slipped across her face, "you're smiling."

Hardison realized he was and forced himself to take a step back, "you got a little, um…" he pointed at the side of his face and Savannah reached up to brush at it.

"Did I get it?"

Hardison smiled and shook his head, "not quite." He reached out to cup her jaw and brushed his thumb across her cheek. "There. Got it."

Savannah titled her head at him, in an assessing, thoughtful way and then stepped back and turned to turn off the heat on the stove.

"We need to go talk to Nate. He's the plan guy, right?" She asked over her shoulder and didn't wait for his response before she left the room.

Hardison waited until Savannah was gone and then slumped against the counter, dropping his head into his hands.

"Idiot." He shook his head, muttering into his hands, "moron. Dummy. Nincompoop."

"Feeling stupid because you want to kiss Eliot's sister?"

Hardison's head snapped up and he saw Parker sitting cross-legged on the countertop where Logan had been before. She gave him a sympathetic look.

"I would too. Even I know enough not to fall in love with someone who's related to a trained killer."

Hardison's eyes grew wider than saucers, "Love? No, sorry, I'm not in love with Savannah."

Parker tilted her head, "but you do want to kiss her."

Hardison drew his shoulders back and straightened. He pointed across the room at Parker as he moved toward the doorway, "You…y-you crazy. You know that? You one crazy-ass chick, Parker." He shook his head and left the room.

Parker pursed her lips and shook her head slowly, sadly.

"Ohhhh Eliot's gonna kiiiiiiillll you."

_TBC- __Lemme hear your thoughts!  
_


	4. Bastard's Gonna Pay

**A/N:** I'm not dead, I promise!! Sorry about the delay. Been uber busy with RL. I'm exhausted from a 13hour shift today and then drinks with friends after so I'm not replying to the reviews of the last chap right now, but I will I promise. You know you are loved!! As always, HUGE HUGE thanks to my beta **_vickyloka _**for making this hap'n cap'n! Enjoy! -pj

* * *

Sophie and Eliot were involved in a conversation in the kitchen when the others arrived, though conversation was probably stretching it a bit since Eliot did not seem to be in the mood to talk and Sophie never needed much help in that area anyway. But they both looked up when the door opened and were only mildly surprised to see three figures enter instead of two.

Nate appeared from the bathroom and Savannah went straight to him, not even sparing her brother or the grifter a glance.

"Nate," she said quietly, "can I talk to you? Um…alone?"

Nate glanced over her shoulder at the team, who had varying looks of confusion and trepidation on their faces and he wasn't sure how to read any of them just yet.

"Sure," he jerked his head toward the semi-private office area that set toward the back of the apartment behind the kitchen. It wouldn't cover the noise if they were shouting, but a conversation held in normal tones wouldn't easily be overheard.

Eliot watched them go and disappear around the corner and turned to Hardison and Parker, his glare only slightly less menacing than it had been before.

Maybe he and Sophie _had _been talking.

"What's going on?"

Parker instantly got an 'I know something you don't know' smirk on her face, which usually meant she probably had information but you would rip your hair out trying to follow her logic to get it. Hardison saw the grin out of the corner of his eye and 'accidentally' bumped into her as he shuffled past, dropping onto the couch in front of his laptop.

Eliot furrowed his brow and thought a moment on who he would rather get answers from first, the certifiable thief or the easily intimidated hacker.

It wasn't much of a choice.

"Hardison," Eliot growled, "what is going on? Why is she talking to Nate?"

"What makes you think I know?" Hardison asked, trying to look busy as he fussed over his computer, muttering a few things under his breath before the large six-screen set up flickered to life, displaying a black and white live feed of Logan's sleeping form in the apartment above.

The look that crossed Eliot's face made Hardison relax slightly.

Parker's words were still buzzing in his ears and the less Eliot looked like he already had an excuse to kick his ass, the better.

"I used your laptop's camera so we could keep an eye on him down here," Hardison explained then, tossing an exasperated look toward the hitter, continued, "and did you ever even turn it on? It was still functioning under _all _the default settings! Have some pride, man."

Eliot slid his eyes over to Hardison and was about to respond when he realized the girls were in a whispered, excited conversation behind him.

"Oh my God, really? That's adorable." Sophie was saying, her eyes sparkling in that gleeful way only a secret could bring.

"I know and-" Parker stopped short, realizing they were being watched, and too-innocently stepped away from the grifter, "What?"

Eliot rolled his eyes, his mouth pursed in a tense line. He could tell when someone was lying. Especially with these three.

So far they hadn't said much, but he was positive they were all lying through their teeth.

"I'm going to figure out what's going on. And when I do…"he let the threat trail off, the words left unspoken somehow worse than if he'd finished. Sophie and Parker wisely stepped aside to let Eliot pass between them and head for the kitchen, undoubtedly looking for some food to abuse, but Hardison shot up from his chair, calling after him.

"Yo, 'you'll what', Eliot? Man, you can't just stop there. How am I supposed to prepare for something if I don't know what it is? Eliot!"

"Okay," Nate sat heavily in his chair and folded his hands on his desk, "what's up?"

Savannah paced back and forth in front of his desk, a look of determination on her brow even as she wrung her hands in uncertainty.

"I need your help, Nate."

"Okay."

"I mean, not just yours, the whole team," she stopped to look at him, "I want to be your next client."

Nate straightened and shifted in his chair, he'd suspected as much.

"Savannah, you know I would help you in any way I can, but-" he shook his head, "I don't feel comfortable getting between you and your brother."

Talk about standing in the crossfire.

"He'll go along with it if it comes from you," she insisted, leaning her hands on his desk, "I won't run, Nate. And I won't hide. But I know that this probably won't be the last time someone comes after Eliot through a member of his family," she dipped her chin, "and remember, the team is his family too."

Nate sighed, sitting back in his chair, acceding her that point but still not fully convinced.

Savannah leaned forward, continuing in an intense whisper, "I want to send a message to the _entire _criminal underworld."

Nate tilted is head to one side, and narrowed his eyes. "And what would that be?"

Savannah stood straight, her face set in stone.

"Don't fuck with us."

* * *

_Savannah sighed deeply, placing the last dried dish safely away in the cupboard. _

_"Savvy, honey, you didn't have to do all of those." _

_The warm, sweet southern belle voice of her aunt Marie made her turn around and she smiled when she saw the small, sleeping bundle wrapped up in her arms. _

_"I don't mind," she crossed the kitchen, covering a yawn with one hand and stroking baby soft hair with the other, "it's the least I can do with all you do for me. And him."_

_Marie's brown eyes crinkled at the corners when she smiled, "you know I love this boy more than life itself. Besides you have your thesis to work on."_

_Savannah__ nodded, leaning tiredly against the refrigerator, "but I like to help out when I'm here. New York is too far away," she complained quietly, tucking the baby blue blanket in tighter to Marie's arms. "And my thesis isn't going anywhere. Unfortunately."_

_Marie nodded and patted her niece's shoulder sympathetically, "But you will. One day you will go far, I know it. " Savannah ducked her head at the sincerity in her voice._

_They stood in silence for a moment, bathed in the fading light of the evening sun. "Have you heard from your brother lately?" The older woman asked casually. _

_Savannah snorted and rubbed her hands across her face, "Yeah sure. I get a smattering of post cards here and there every couple of months," she pursued her lips bitterly. Marie regretted bringing the tension back to the young woman's shoulders and looked away. _

_"Then there's the rare and brief phone call if he's feeling really generous." Savannah dropped her hands and looked at the laptop set up on the table, "but he told me to be on my computer today at eight. Don't know why."_

_Marie nodded, turning to leave the room with her precious cargo, "Well, you know him. He always has a reason." She smiled warmly and squeezed the girl's hand, "you best be getting to it."_

_Savannah nodded and watched her aunt disappear into the den, where she and Logan were rooming until she went back to school in the fall, before dropping down into the chair at the table. She pulled up the document with her half-completed thesis on Non-invasive Intra-muscular surgeries, editing mindlessly for a few moments when a window popped up in front of her. _

_"45," she blinked at the small, pixilated feed of her brother. _

_In spite of herself, she smiled, "hi." _

_He smiled back._

_"Hi."_

_"You look…different." She said after a moment. And he did. His hair was longer than she remembered, there was a scar on his lip that hadn't been there before and his eyes…there was something different about his eyes._

_"You too."_

_She answered without really thinking. _

_"Well yeah, you haven't seen me since I was sixteen, I certainly _hope_ I'm different now," she regretted snapping at him almost immediately, seeing something like sadness crossing his face, and tried to soften the words with a smile. _

_"This is pretty cool," she gestured at her computer, "almost like you're here."_

_He nodded, the video stream freezing up for a moment to reveal a little of the space around him, but all Savannah could see was a cement block wall and a dim yellow light. _

_"How are you?" She asked. It wasn't really what she wanted to say, but she was finding her usual proficiency for words failing her, overpowered by the varied, unpleasant and powerful emotions brought up at seeing her brother for the first time in so long. _

_He gave her a rueful smile, "fine. You? How's school?" _

_She shrugged, "it's school. Whosever bright idea it was for me to become a doctor must have been out of their mind."_

_He smiled fully and it put her at ease, "it was your idea, Sav."_

_She nodded, "right." _

_Just then her eyes flicked to the door, sensing movement. A chubby red-headed toddler wearing nothing but a pull-up and a Dallas Cowboy's jersey teetered toward her, the evidence of his exhaustion written plainly in the way he kept rubbing his fists against his eyes._

_"What is it?" Colt asked, seeing he no longer had his sister's full attention. _

_She smiled fondly at something out of sight of the camera and stretched a hand out toward it. _

_"I have someone I want you to meet." _

_She heard a slight groan from her brother and turned to see him frowning. _

_"It's not a guy, is it?" _

_Savannah__ laughed, "Oh yeah. The only one in my life."_

_She saw his frown deepen into a scowl and reached down, swinging the toddler up into her lap and turning him so he could see the screen._

_"I'd like you to meet your nephew. Logan."

* * *

_

"It's a bad plan."

"No it's not."

"It'll work."

"It's a good plan."

The team, plus Savannah, sat around Nate's dining room table debating 'the plan'. Savannah sat with her back to the kitchen so she could keep an eye on the TV screens, with Parker beside her, Eliot and Nate at the ends of the table and Hardison and Sophie on the opposite side.

They all looked at Eliot who was scowling at each of them in turn. The plan's only naysayer.

"It's a solid plan, Eliot."

The hitter sighed, but didn't get a chance to weigh again with his opinion before Parker interrupted.

"Guys? Is it just me or is there something hinky with that video feed?" She asked, staring across the room at the big six screen set up that had a sleeping Logan on display.

"What are you talking about Parker?" Hardison asked, turning around in time to see Logan, still sleeping, reach up and swat at an itch on his nose.

"Just watch."

They all humored her for several moments, but nothing changed. Logan continued to sleep peacefully under his blanket, the light from the TV reflecting peacefully on his face.

"Parker I think you're just being-" Sophie was cut off by Savannah's gasp as Logan, again, reached up to swat at his nose in the exact same manner and place as before.

It was too exact to be a coincidence.

Savannah shot out of her chair and charged the door, Eliot and the rest hot on her heels.

* * *

"Logan!" Savannah shrieked as she barreled into Eliot's apartment, heedless of the shouted warnings coming from behind her. Her eyes swept over the room but her feet made a beeline for the couch where her son had been the last time she saw him. "Please Logan _please_!"

She nearly collapsed with relief when she saw a pair of size six black converse shoes poking out from beneath a blue and brown afghan at one end, a tuft of red hair at the other.

"Oh God, Logan," she half-sobbed, gathering the boy up to her chest. His body spasmed slightly, startled by the sudden contact and his eyes flew open, but relaxed again, recognizing the scent and feel of his mother.

Hardison turned away, leaning his forehead against the wall and closing his eyes, pulling deep, harsh breaths into his lungs in an attempt to calm down. Nate looked like he was about to be ill and dropped onto the coffee table, watching Savannah rock her son back and forth in her arms, even as the boy looked about the room, confused and searching for an explanation. Sophie stood back from the rest, tears standing in her eyes.

"What kind of a monster does this?" She whispered, but if anyone heard her they didn't respond.

Parker stood beside Eliot, who was all taut lines and barely reigned anger, his fists practically shaking with rage.

"Eliot?" She asked quietly, but knew better than to reach out to him. He didn't respond and the silence stretched out for minutes in the room, no one daring to move, let alone speak.

The shrill ringing of a cell phone made everyone jump and Logan tensed again, the one hand he'd managed to work free of his mother's embrace flying around in rapid fire questions, that no one quite had the answers to.

They all looked at Eliot as he fished his cell phone out of his back pocket. He glanced at it, trying not to crush the small device. The number was blocked.

He flipped it open and pressed it to his ear, growling, "Who is this?"

"Now you know fully what we are capable of," a distorted voice responded, the tone almost genial.

Eliot glanced at Savannah, who looked caught somewhere between terror and fury, and Logan who was still confused.

"You have no idea who you're messing with." He said, his voice low and dangerous, his eyes defocusing in a way the team didn't usually see.

Sophie and Hardison exchanged a helpless glance while Parker took a cautious step back.

"On the contrary," the tone changed, it lost the friendly quality and became cold, still unrecognizable, "I know _exactly_ who I'm messing with, Eliot Spencer."

Eliot growled, his body shaking with the effort of not exploding in a fit of violence and rage that would have certainly left everything - everyone - in the room in pieces.

"Then you know you've just signed your death warrant. But walk away now and I _might _make it quick."

There was a low chuckled and it made Eliot's stomach turn, he forced himself to keep breathing normally, his nails digging so hard into his palm he felt them draw blood.

"You don't scare me, Spencer."

"Then you're just as stupid as you are reckless. Because if you know me half as well as you think you do then you know I don't make empty threats," there was silence on the other end and Eliot took it as an invitation to continue. Slowly, he turned his back on his team and lowered his voice even more.

"So listen up, 'cause I'm only gonna say this once. Run. Run and hide and hire every body guard and security team you can get your hands on because this ain't over. I will look for you. I will find you. And I _will _kill you. Slowly."

There was a long pause where the only evidence the line had not gone dead was a distant, echoed breathing in Eliot's ear. Then, finally, the voice spoke up again.

"I look forward to it." A click and dailtone ended the conversation and Eliot snatched the phone away from his ear, hurling it toward the opposite wall.

"FUCK," Eliot swore loudly, squeezing his eye shut in an attempt to regain control. His breath came fast and heavy for a moment as he stared at the shattered device. Everyone remained tense, waiting.

Nate and Savannah were the only ones that didn't jump when Eliot inhaled sharply and put his fist through the wall a moment later, another curse on his lips.

"Bastard's gonna pay," he growled, pulling his hand out of the wall. He shook it a few times, assessing the damage and turned around, his eyes ablaze.

He looked at Nate.

"Let's do it."

* * *

_TBC- ff. net quick messin' with my __formatting!! Click the button guys!  
_


	5. Flying Headlong and Blind

**A/N: **I love**_ redqueen74, inspired-looney, luna-pendragon, SeaStarr, xxdevil9xx, jediyam, vickyloka, spnchick, MusicEstVita, lilz54, Mayhem21, BookLover223, vampout _**and**_ kanefan892_** for reviewing the last chap and/or the one before it. I'm really struggling with writing this but **_vickyloka _**has by back and I refuse to give in! *ahem* uh....Enjoy! -pj

* * *

"Let me see it," Savannah insisted quietly, her brow furrowed in concentration.

Eliot rolled his eyes, but allowed his sister to carefully examine his now bruising hand. "I'm fine, Savannah."

"Yeah, sure. Why do I get the feeling you say that a lot?" She was still refusing to look him in the eye, but he pretended not to notice. His gaze traveled to the living room where the team had gathered on his puffy leather couch and chairs, distracting Logan with card tricks and laughter. He was glad. It helped calm the vengeful rage still bubbling in his stomach.

He hissed and scowled at her when Savannah prodded at a particularly tender spot on his hand.

She pulled away, nodding slightly and went to his freezer, "I don't think you broke anything, amazingly."

She held out the ice pack and he took it, wrapping it carefully around the swelling.

They stood silent for a few minutes, Eliot focusing on his hand, Savannah frowning at the floor, when she spoke again.

"I'm sorry I called you an ass."

Eliot smirked a little and nodded, shaking his hair out of his face, "maybe I deserved it."

Savannah smiled, relieved he wasn't still angry with her, but it faltered and fell off her face only seconds later.

Eliot frowned, taking a small step forward. "Sav? What's the matter?"

She looked up at him for the first time wearing a bitter smile.

"What's the matter?" she shook her head, "This is…completely out of control 45. They…they threatened my baby. Twice." She lifted her hands to her face to cover a sob as the days' wear took its final toll. "Maybe you were right, you know? Maybe we should just go. Just run and maybe-"

Eliot crossed the space between them in barely two steps, gathering his sister to his chest in strong arms like when they were kids, afraid if he let her keep going he would agree and send her away and she would never forgive him.

He tucked her head under his chin and she clung to his shirt, shaking with carefully quiet sobs.

"I'm scared," she mumbled into his shoulder and he tightened his arms.

"I know," he nodded, and took a deep breath and his eyes slid over to the living room where his family was gathered.

"Me too."

* * *

"What's that?" Parker frowned and made a motion with her hand, "he keeps doing that."

Logan caught sight of Parker's movement and smiled, leaping across the carved wood coffee table to stand in front of her. He repeated the motion she had just done and pointed at Hardison, then did it again.

Hardison gasped, his eyes wide, "I think I know what he's doing. Get his attention for me."

Parker grabbed the boy's shoulders and turned him around to face Hardison, who raised his eyebrows in question, long fingers clumsily forming a word, one letter at a time.

_N-a-m-e?_

Logan squealed and nodded, pointing his palm toward the hacker.

Hardison's eyebrows flew up, "my name?"

Logan nodded vigorously again.

"It's your sign name."

They all turned to see Savannah and Eliot joining them from the kitchen, the first subtly brushing at red rimmed eyes, the second holding his hand protectively to his chest.

"He's given you all sign names so he doesn't have to fingerspell them out all the time." Savannah explained, dropping onto the couch beside Nate and Hardison.

Hardison signed his name to himself, "what's it mean?"

Savannah tilted her head and signed the question to her son. She smiled wide at the answer and spun pulled the boy onto her lap.

"It's 'a' and the sign for 'computer'." She nodded approvingly, hugging Logan's middle closer, "it works for you."

Hardison nodded, smiling, "I like it."

"Oh oh, what about me?" Sophie sat on the fireplace opposite the couch, waving to get Logan's attention. "What's my uh," she glanced at Savannah's hands and mimicked the gesture, "name?"

Logan smiled and formed an 's' with his hand and tapped his chin in a slight downward motion. At Sophie's confused look Savannah clarified. "'S' and 'sweet'."

"Oh," Sophie gasped and pressed her hands over her heart, "that's the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me. Thank you."

Logan brightened, _You're welcome_.

"What about you? Do you have one?"

"His friends call me," she made a motion, "Doctor Mom," she shrugged, "he just waves around until I see him." She laughed.

Logan pulled away from his mother and went to Eliot who stood behind the couch.

_Show them yours._

_You do it. _

Logan shook his head and pulled insistently on Eliot's uninjured hand.

"Alright, alright," Eliot nodded and pushed his hair back. He made a shape with one hand and then smacked it repeatedly on his open palm, "It's 'e' and the sign for chopping."

"For how fast he chops vegetables when he's cooking," Savannah clarified.

"Oh, I like that one, suits him, doesn't it?" Sophie said, looking at the others. "Does Nate have one?"

Reading Sophie's lips, Logan clapped loudly, attracting everyone's attention. With a look that was comically solemn on his young, freckled face, he formed an 'n' with his hands.

"'N' and the sign for 'serious'." Eliot said, then smiled, "kid's pretty good at this."

Nate nodded his agreement, eyes sparkling with laughter.

Parker nodded exuberantly, bouncing on floor in front of the couch.

"What about mine? I want one."

Everyone looked expectantly at the boy and Logan frowned.

_I can't think of one for her. She's…hard. _

Eliot smiled, _what about this?_

Logan's eyes widened and he burst out laughing doubling over so that he disappeared from view behind the couch. Eliot chuckled, a mischievous grin on his face the team wasn't quite used to seeing. At least not where violence wasn't involved.

Sophie and Parker exchanged a confused glance with Nate, looking as if they wanted to laugh but weren't quite sure. Hardison noticed Savannah giving Eliot a chiding look.

"That's not nice, 45."

"What? What did he say?"

Logan appeared from behind the couch, repeated the motion, and then fell out giggling again.

Savannah sighed, seeing Eliot had joined his nephew in outright laughing and turned around, shaking her head. "He suggested 'p' and the sign for 'crazy'. I'm sorry Park-"

"I love it!"

Savannah wrinkled her nose, "really?"

Parker's blonde head bobbed up and down, "yeah, of course." She grinned, "That's how Eliot says he loves me."

Eliot choked, Sophie grinned, Hardison gasped, Nate groaned and Savannah looked like the cat that ate the canary.

"Oh reeeally?"

* * *

_Savannah had been reading for as long as she could remember, even before she started school. Colt taught her because it was a way to keep her entertained and quiet. They kept stacks of books and a flashlight in the coat closet and in the ones in the hallway and Colt's bedroom. _

_When she was very young she was content to sit and let him read to her. When she was a little older she got books from the library with big letters and small words and read to herself. But her favorite book, the one that got her banned from the school library because of refusing to return it, was the Big Book of Doctor Stuff. A book that was twice as thick as her momma's Bible and had almost gotten her caught one night because she'd forgotten it in her bedroom and Frank was coming up the stairs. _

_It was because of that book that Savannah knew what to do when she walked into her brother's bedroom one evening and found him curled up on his bedspread, facing the wall with his arms wrapped around his stomach._

_"45?" she asked quietly, not wanting to wake him if he was asleep. But as she stepped a little closer she could see Colt wasn't sleeping. She squinted at him, seeing his shoulders trembling every few seconds and his forehead and neck were sweaty. _

_"You okay, 45?" She reached out to gently touch his shoulder and was startled when he jerked away, whimpering. She frowned. She couldn't remember the last time she'd seen Colt cry. Biting her lip determinedly, she ran to his closet and pulled out her book. The plastic dust cover was cracked and bent at odd angles from being shoved around in the dark, and she dropped to her knees in front of the bed, looking up at his face. His eyes were closed and his lip pulled into his mouth and she didn't need him to tell her that he was in pain. Lots of it. _

_"What's yur sympt'ms?" She asked, far too practiced and businesslike for a seven year old. _

_"Sav," he gasped, and her stomach twisted painfully, "you gotta go, Sav. Go to school before Frank gets back." _

_Savannah frowned deeply and raised one tiny hand to his wrist to take his pulse, "45, its nighttime. We already went to school today." _

_He only groaned in response and Savannah didn't know how to count a pulse, but she knew how fast his heart usually thumped, and this was much faster. _

_"45, what's the matter? Tell me." _

_He was rocking now, both hands wrapped tightly around his middle and sweat dotting all his exposed skin, "hurts. Stomach hurts." _

_Now it was Savannah's heart that was beating too fast. "Okay, okay," she flipped quickly through her book but her vision had gotten too blurry to see the words anymore. _

_"I-I think maybe…" she trailed off and looked back up when her brother's breathing got harder and faster. _

_"Colt?" _

_She watched his eyes roll back in his head and jumped to her feet, tearing across the room for the door and screaming at the top of her tiny lungs for her mother.

* * *

_

"Trust the grift," Sophie recited, walking a slow circle around Savannah as stared at herself in the mirror. "Say as little as possible, let the character do the talking."

Savannah nodded, tugging uncomfortably at the tight leather jacket Sophie had given her to wear, titling her head at her reflection. It didn't look like herself, all dark eye makeup and windswept hair and attitude and _fearless_.

It wasn't her at all. But then, maybe that was the point.

"And the most important rule?" Sophie prompted.

Savannah took a deep breath, dropping her hands to hang loosely at her sides.

"Don't be afraid."

"That's right. You can be bored, be irritable, be angry. But _don't _be afraid."

Savannah nodded and her eyes focused in again on her reflection, looking far off for a moment, "they can smell fear."

Sophie's eyebrows furrowed and she touched Savannah's shoulder, drawing the woman's' attention.

"Are you sure you can do this?"

Savannah gave her a smile that reminded Sophie of a wolf. Of Eliot before a fight.

"They threatened my son."

Sophie wanted to commend her. That vengeance was going to give her the perfect persona to go through with this, but also felt compelled to warn her. After all, she was an Honest, an Innocent. She didn't understand their world.

"Look, these men aren't like us. They have guns and they _will_ use them. If you're afraid you'll give the con away."

Savannah nodded, "I get it. Believe me. I've known men who used guns to feel powerful." She turned back to the mirror, "And I learned early on how not to show fear."

She felt Sophie's eyes on her and turned to her again with a predatory smile, "besides, I've been taking self-defense since I was 18. Colt's idea. Guess now I know why."

Sophie handed her a pair of earrings and a thumb ring to complete the look, "then why did they get the drop on you at your apartment?"

She shrugged, distracting herself with putting the small bobbles on, "Tunnel vision. They grabbed Logan and I…I couldn't see anything after that." She took a deep breath and turned to the grifter, "it won't happen again."

Sophie assessed the other woman for a moment, from the toes up. From the inside out.

She nodded approvingly.

"Let's go get 'em."

* * *

"You okay?"

Eliot took a deep breath and glanced at Nate. Outwardly, he was the picture of calm and nonchalance. Inside, he was a volcano ready to explode.

"Fine." He responded, they both stood by the front door, ready to go.

Nate gave him a disbelieving look and Eliot huffed.

"What do you want me to say, Nate? I still don't like this plan. It puts everyone at risk and, need I remind you, we're flyin' blind into this one," he growled heatedly, "it's dangerous."

Nate sighed, knowing the man wasn't wrong.

"But," Eliot continued, Nate looked at him, "she deserves the chance for payback as much as I do, I guess."

Nate nodded, "I think so."

"But, Nate, I swear if anything happens to her, and don't say it won't because you can't promise that-"

Nate lifted a calming hand, "I wouldn't say that Eliot."

Eliot remained stiff, tense, right in Nate's face until the door at the far end of the apartment opened and Sophie emerged, Savannah in tow looking every bit the part she was supposed to play.

"But I do promise not to stand in your way if it does."

* * *

_TBC- abuse the button and spoil me__  
_


	6. Plan F, as in: Completely Fu

**A/N: **Well, in addition to my life being hectic as hell, I now have the pleasure of dealing with a fried computer. Damn damn _dammit_! I'm hijacking computers wherever I can and writing everything longhand so the updates will still be coming, but if it's possible, they'll be even slower. :( sorry! I hope you enjoy this update and thanks as always to my lovely beta **vickyloka**! Enjoy! -pj

* * *

Logan looked up from the kitchen table where he was working on homework with Parker and Hardison's help, and saw his mother emerge from the bedroom.

_Where are you going?_

Savannah glanced briefly at Eliot and Nate before responding. T_o work, sweetie. I'll be back soon. _

Logan frowned, _No you're not._

She had expected her son to be a bit suspicious. He was smart and acutely observant, but she hadn't expected outright disbelief.

_You're not dressed for work. _Logan explained.

Savannah bit her lip, glancing back at Sophie uncertainly.

The grifter stepped forward, "we're just going out for a bit, darling. We'll be back soon."

Logan was still frowning, and slowly his eyes slid from Sophie, to his mother, to Eliot and Nate. He read their posture and expressions. The tension and anxiety in the room was obvious, even to him.

Something wasn't right.

Slowly, Logan stood up and walked around the table, coming to stand directly in front of his mother.

_You're going after the bad guys, aren't you? _He asked with a look that was part concern, part intense worry.

Savannah sighed and dropped to her knees, shaking her head, "my smart boy." She reached out to pull his slim shoulders toward her, kissing his head and smoothing his hair to the side. "Too smart."

Logan's blue eyes clouded like a storm as he took his mother's words as the 'yes' he hadn't wanted. He raised his hands to sign a single word.

_Dangerous._

Savannah shook her head immediately, "no. I won't be in any danger. Eliot will be there. And Nate." She smiled bravely, "I'm gonna be fine."

Logan frowned and pulled out of his mother's embrace and ran to the table. Snatching a pad and paper, he scribbled something across it quickly and returned to where the others were standing, thrusting the pad into Nate's hands.

Confused, Nate squinted to read the hasty, 9-year-old scrawl.

_~Bring her back safe.~_

Nate looked up and saw Logan staring at him with intensity far beyond his years. The tone in them brooked no argument.

His stomach flipped.

Nate wasn't an optimist. He wasn't a believer. He didn't hope for the best. Those qualities died a long time ago with a boy only a little bit younger than Logan.

But somehow, Nate found he couldn't bring himself to deny Logan that same optimism, belief and hope that he didn't have.

Nate nodded. "I will."

Logan pursed his lips and nodded back, and in that moment Nate knew he'd made an agreement he couldn't easily go back on. He then turned and looked up at Eliot.

_Promise you'll keep her safe._ He glanced at his mother and back again,_ Promise me._

Eliot swallowed and pursed his lips.

"Yeah, Logan. I promise," he punctuated the last word with the sign that held it's meaning and nodded. Logan stared at him for a long moment before nodding in response.

"Okay," Nate cleared his throat and broke the silence, "it's time."

Savannah took a deep breath and nodded. Getting back to her feet, she glanced briefly at Sophie, who gave her a small smile, and then looked at Hardison.

"Will you, um, watch Logan for me? Make sure he's-"

Hardison dipped his chin once, "I'll take care of him," his voice lowered an octave as his eyes locked on hers, "take care of you, okay?"

Savannah smiled fearlessly and drew her shoulders back as she crossed the room toward Nate and Eliot. She bent to kiss Logan on the head once more and then looked at Eliot, surprised to see all the violent, intense, mixed up emotions she was feeling were reflected just as strongly in his eyes.

Eliot clenched his jaw and put a hand at her back, guiding her through the door.

Sophie and Nate parked around the corner from Eliot's Ducati on a busy street, watching surreptitiously through sunglasses as the hitter and his sister approached a park bench, heads bent in deep conversation.

"We've got company. Hardison?" Nate updated over the coms and Sophie watched a college age boy casually walk up to Eliot, pretending to tie his shoe while he spoke to him. Savannah stood watching from a few feet away, arms crossed, face blank and hard.

_"Yeah, yeah, I got you. Not picking up any signals or transmitters of any kind. He's clean."_

_"Of course he is. You can't put a price on discretion with an information dealer."_ Parker chimed in.

"Alright, Parker's contact is leaving. Eliot, you're up." Nate shifted in the leather seat and the coms went dead except for Eliot's voice. If the hitter had a change of heart and was going to go off script, now was when he would do it.

Sophie and Nate held their breath watching the pair walk back to Eliot's bike. Suddenly Savannah stopped short, the look on her face was pure fury.

_"Because I said so!"_ Eliot growled, his shoulders tense and squared for a fight.

Savannah shoved a finger into his chest, pushing him back a few inches, her tone clipt and sharp before it dropped so low the coms almost couldn't pick it up.

"C'mon, hold it together," Sophie whispered to herself. Her heart sped up infinitesimally when Savannah turned away from Eliot, who reached out and grabbed her arm. The blonde whipped back around and wrenched her arm from his grip, a few choice words falling from her lips before she turned and marched off into the crowd of people on the sidewalk.

Eliot looked like a volcano ready to explode as he watched her walk away.

"Steady. Steady," Nate chanted quietly. The coms were silent as they all waited for the next part of the plan to fall into place.

Suddenly Savannah's startled, upset voice came over the earpieces.

_"What the hell? What are you- Hey! Let me go!" _

"_Hardison_?" Eliot demanded immediately.

_"I got her. Audio, video and tracking device all functioning perfectly. She's fine." _

They heard Eliot curse as he stomped back to his bike, shoving his helmet on and kick starting his bike's engine on with enough force to cause it damage.

_"It ain't '_fine'_ Hardison. None of this is." _

The hacker's response was cut off by the roar of Eliot's bike starting up as he shot out into traffic, weaving in and out of lanes until Sophie and Nate couldn't see him anymore.

The grifter turned to look at Nate.

"You think he'll ever forgive you for letting her do this?" She sighed.

Nate turned on the car and started back toward the apartment, "if all goes according to plan I shouldn't need his forgiveness."

Sophie nodded and was quiet for a few seconds. "Think he'll ever forgive himself?"

Nate sighed, listening for a moment to Hardison as he updated Eliot on Savannah's whereabouts every few seconds.

"I hope so."

* * *

_It was early fall in Oklahoma. The air was crisp, the animals active in the trees and the air was thick with the smell of the last harvest underway. Savannah was loving every minute of it. _

_She wasn't entirely sure what Colt had been complaining about all these years. As a new Third Grader this year she had yet to experience the 'school sucks' complex her brother seemed to suffer from. She was ahead of the other kids in English and Reading but Science and Math were challenging enough to keep her interested. Homework was a breeze and recess was heaven on earth. _

_But best of all, school kept her and Colt out of the house for most of the day. And since Frank had started working nights, leaving him home sleeping during the day, they'd found time anywhere was better than time at home._

_Late one evening in September that year, Savannah was slinking down the stairs to the first floor. Colt had warned her to stay in her room for the rest of the night, he and their step father had already had it out once that day, but the bruise on the side of his face looked especially painful. She knew if the swelling didn't go down before the next day Colt wouldn't be able to go to school. _

_And that wasn't a risk Savannah was willing to let him take. _

_She had heard Frank rummaging around in the garage behind their small farmhouse only a few minutes before and guessed he was probably still out there, since he didn't leave for work for a few more hours yet._

_It would only take a few seconds to get a towel and ice from the fridge, she'd told herself bravely. Everything would be fine._

_She was more than a little surprised to walk into the kitchen and see Frank sitting at the table, one of his guns spread out in front of him with a dishrag and some cleaning tools. _

_Stiffly, Savannah moved into the room, keeping her head down and eyes locked on the floor as she slinked along the wall toward the refrigerator, wishing to be invisible. She didn't even make it two steps before a low, gravelly voice made her cringe and freeze instinctively._

_"Where you goin'?" _

_"Ta get some ice," she answered immediately, making sure to keep her voice steady and strong. _

_"What for?" He questioned, still not looking at her._

_Savannah knew better than to tell him it was for Colt, "I'm too hot." _

_Frank looked up sharply at her, "you lyin' to me, girl?" _

_Savannah forced herself to look up, locking her caramel eyes on Frank's cold gray ones. She straightened and pushed out her chin, "no, sir." _

_Frank narrowed his eyes appraisingly but Savannah held her ground, knowing to admit defeat or show fear would only make matters worse. _

_After a few heart stopping seconds he looked back at his gun, "come sit down a minute."_

_Savannah hesitated, looking longingly toward the refrigerator, but Frank's impatient rapping on the table sent her scurrying across the floor and she slid into one of the kitchen chairs._

_"You recognize this?" _

_Savannah swallowed hard and nodded, lacing her fingers tightly in her lap, "Semi-Automatic .45 Taurus Millennium Series Pistol. From the cupboard above the stove." _

_Frank nodded, "very good." _

_Savannah__ didn't take pride in the praise, and watched out of the corner of her eye as Frank quickly and efficiently snapped the weapon back together into working order. _

_"You ever see what a gun like this can do to unprotected flesh?" he asked nonchalantly. _

_Savannah__ shook her head. _

_"Want to?" _

_Her blood turned to ice as she heard the safety click and her eyes snapped over to the gun, only slightly relieved to see it hanging casually from Frank's callused fingers, pointing at the wall. _

_She blinked, unable to respond. She knew the exact moment he saw her fear. It made him start to smile. _

_"The way a projectile rips through skin and muscle. Pushing all the organs out of its way before blood rushes back into its place. It spills out through the new opening. Still warm." _

_Savannah__'s breath started to come quicker and her palms sweated, images of writhing, dying bodies popping up in her mind faster than she could push them away._

_"It doesn't usually kill you. Not right away, unless you aim right. But it'll make you wish it had." _

_He slammed the weapon down on the table in front of her and Savannah nearly jumped clear out of her seat. Tears sprang to her eyes and her vision blurred as she stared down at the ugly weapon. _

_"Don't ever lie to me again, Savannah. I promise you'll regret it." _

_She didn't dare move, hardly dared to breathe, and Savannah waited silently for him to dismiss her._

_"Now go on, get that worthless brother of yours his ice before he starts his cryin' again." _

_Savannah__ sniffed quietly as she got up and forced her wobbly legs to hold her as she dutifully gathered a tray full of ice into a plastic baggie, and silently left the kitchen. _

_She waited until she was out of sight and then bolted up the stairs and down the hall to the safety of her brother's arms.

* * *

_

Savannah felt herself being shoved roughly into a chair and her arms and legs restrained and she focused on keeping her breathing even.

_Don't show fear_, she reminded herself.

Suddenly the darkness was ripped away and the dim light of a naked bulb replaced it when the thick black hood was snatched off Savannah's head.

She glanced around quickly, trying to take everything in at once. A cement floor and brick walls as well as a single overhead light. Judging by the damp mildew smell and the small windows near the ceiling she guessed she was in some sort of basement.

She jerked experimentally against the binds holding her to a hard metal chair, but found them tight and unyielding.

"Rope on the wrists an' ankles," she scoffed, allowing her southern accent to come across thick, "how quaint."

Flipping her hair out of her face, Savannah glared at the three men in the room. Two of them were obviously hired muscle, both were packing and had the tats to prove it. The third man, dressed in a sharp suit and gelled hair and an expensive ring was more likely management. He didn't look like the type to get his hands dirty.

"With whom do I have the pleasure?" She smiled sweetly, anger rolling off her in waves. The two thugs stood stoically by the door so she addressed the third man, who was perched casually on a metal table against the wall.

He looked up with something like a smile that made her stomach turn, but didn't respond. Savannah curled her lip in disgust.

"Not the talkative type, huh?" she drawled, relaxing back in the chair a bit, "you're a dead man anyway so I suppose it don't matta' one way or the otha'."

* * *

The camera feed was fuzzy and intermittent, but the entire team sat around Nate's six-screen TV, glued to the audio and visual feedback coming from Savannah's transmitters.

Parker, who'd taken Logan up to Eliot's for a few minutes, was patched in over her com and could be heard talking quietly every now and then when she was sure Logan wasn't looking.

"My god, she's a natural," Sophie whispered with awe after a few seconds of Savannah's conversation. She glanced at Eliot, "not surprising though, considering the way you grift."

Eliot didn't respond. He had been glued to Hardison since the moment they stepped into the apartment.

"You still got her?"

"Yeah, Eliot, I got her," Hardison assured him for the second time in as many minutes, "1500 Mosel Street in the Warehouse district. Basement level, third door on the right. Eliot, man, they could take her to a mile deep cave in China and the tracker I put on her would still transmit exact longitude and latitude points, okay? Relax."

"I just let my sister get kidnapped, Hardison, I'm not gonna _relax_." Eliot snapped, fighting the overwhelming urge to hit something. Anything. _Everything_.

Hardison didn't even flinch, but his face grew serious as he turned more fully toward the hitter.

"Eliot, I promise you, nothing is gonna happen to her."

Eliot's eyes stayed locked on the hacker's for several seconds and Hardison got the feeling he was being evaluated. A moment later he looked away again, leaving Hardison wondering if he passed or not.

"I jus' don't wanna lose her," Eliot said quietly, hunching forward to rest his elbows on his knees.

Hardison nodded and turned back to his computer.

"Me either."

If the hacker felt Eliot turn to look at him, he pretended not to.

Across the room, pacing behind Sophie's chair Nate raised a hand to his ear.

"Savannah, we need a picture of the Suit. The guy behind this."

A second later the view from the camera feed shifted to reveal an average sized, well dressed man sitting on a table a few feet away. Hardison froze the image and enlarged the face.

They all turned when Eliot jumped to his feet, his entire body vibrating with the strain of keeping still.

"Bastard. Shoulda' killed you when I had the chance."

* * *

_TBC - cheer me up with reviews you guys! lol. I'm not above begging. Btw - it's a lot easier for me to update my twitter than anything else without computer, so if you follow me you'll be the first to know when to expect chapters! (Twitter: Armada_Sloane)__  
_


	7. Old Enemies

**A/N:** It's baaaaack! I'd like to give you a long drawn out, epically believable excuse for why its been 85 years since i updated...but I don't have one. Truth is I couldn't come up with a suitable bad guy, or a believable motive. Then it hit me (cant wait to hear what ya'll think of that). Also, huge thanks to all the reviewers and readers who've been waiting so patiently for me to get off my butt and do this thing. And HUGE love&thanks to my beta _**vickyloka**_. Enjoy! -pj

**Warnings**: SPOILERS for Season Three, which you should have started watching by now, and if you haven't...hahaha, who am I kidding. Of COURSE you've watched.

oooOOOooo

_Previously on Always Had a Reason:_ Someone is screwing with Eliot's family, and has therefore signed their death warrant. Savannah steadfastly refused for Eliot to send her into hiding and called upon Nate to help her send a message to the entire Criminal Underworld, namely: 'Dont fuck with us'. Logan made Nate and Eliot promise to bring his mother home safe, and they subsequently allowed her to get kidnapped, but it's all part of the con. Outfitted with a com, button-cam and a tracking device that Hardison assures them would 'transmit from a mile deep tunnel in China', Savannah has taken to grifting with an ease that surprises them all. When Eliot recognizes the man behind the whole thing he wishes he had 'killed him when he had the chance'.

_And now the continuation:_

Sophie's mouth dropped open. "That low-life, shameless, devious son of a bitch!"

Hardison froze mid-gulp on his orange soda and looked ready to have an aneurism.

Nate just narrowed his eyes.

"Sterling."

oooOOOooo

Sterling was still sitting on the metal table, fiddling idly with his cufflinks as if he didn't really care that there were other people still in the room. His expression was largely unreadable, but the cool amusement in his eyes sent shivers down Savannah's spine.

"Who are you?" he asked finally, the first words he'd spoken since she arrived.

Savannah itched to ask the team how they knew this guy, since they all seemed pretty upset to see him, but kept her comments to herself.

"Who do you think I am?" She responded, narrowing her eyes slightly.

Sterling gave a small shrug, not even displacing his impeccably kept suit coat, and tilted his chin up. Waiting.

Savannah raised an eyebrow. "Well you must have some idea who you think I am." She let out a short laugh, "I assume you don't just go around kidnapping soccer moms off the street and hold 'em for questionin'."

His eyes narrowed just slightly, both impressed and annoyed by her boldness.

"Well, that much is true." Sterling nodded, flicking imagined lint off the lapels of his jacket, "I just figured, anyone who was worth Eliot Spencer's time was worth mine."

She gave him a sly look, looking both bored and cautious.

"Eliot, huh? That's what this is all about. And here I was thinkin' I was the prize," she shifted to lean back in her chair, tilting her head to one side as if studying him, "I knew that boy was trouble."

"Apparently not enough trouble. You have a child with him."

Savannah dipped her chin to hide a horrified look and heard someone gagging and choking over the coms. She was glad Sophie came to her rescue then, because her mind was suddenly a blank.

"Maybe it's not his," she said, forcing herself to look up again, "Maybe I jus' let him believe that. Eliot's a southern gentlemen. It's his weakness. I use it to my advantage."

"Really?" And what advantage is that?"

Savannah slid her eyes over to the guards still standing at the door. "I come from a family of…lets just say powerful people. Eliot gets the job done. Keeps us safe from…people who might want to do my family harm…until now, that is."

Sterling seemed to be considering this as he shifted again, narrowing his eyes at her.

"So you been doin' a fair amount of time watchin' us then?" She said, interrupting his thoughts and hopefully, any holes he might find in her story. "Any particular reason?"

Sterling shrugged again, as if he didn't care one way or the other. "Nathan Ford is an escaped convict. The others are thieves and I'd be surprised to find out you are much better. I was doing the world a favor by keeping an eye on them, even if there does seem to be a…hiccup in the system. I don't suppose you know why there isn't a warrant out for Nate's arrest?"

Savannah's eyes crinkled slightly at the edges in a knowing smirk.

"What?" Sterling took a step forward.

Her grin widened, she had him on the hook.

"What have I done? Why am I here? I ain't givin' Eliot to ya', or any of the others for that matter, and if ya had anythin' on him you'd've taken him already. I haven't done anything wrong."

Sterling nodded, "yes, yes that's true. You're free to go."

She tugged meaningfully at the binds holding her to the chair and glared.

"Oh, that's right," Sterling chuckled dryly and motioned toward the guards and one of them disappeared out the door, "after the show."

Savannah narrowed her eyes and the guard reappeared, this time wheeling in a small television on a cart with him.

"Oh, movie time? How excitin'." She said sarcastically, more anger starting to leak into her voice, "What am I supposed to be watchin'?"

Sterling gave the television an affectionate pat, "I just thought you ought to know the kind of man Eliot Spencer really is."

oooOOOooo

_Savannah__ sighed, tapping her pencil against her chin while she stared aimlessly out the window. She really should be doing her homework. English was by no means her best subject and four-thousand words on why some dumb character did some dumb thing in the dumb book they were reading was not going to be an easy task. _

_But how was she supposed to concentrate when she was just days away from her thirteenth birthday? _

_She grinned, her eyes automatically tracking a pair of horses that ran past the window in the pasture outside. _

_Finally a teenager. She couldn't wait. _

_But Savannah was brought out of her musings by the sound of raised voices coming from somewhere else in the house. Frowning, she dropped her pencil onto her notebook, and stepped over piles of shoes and clothes making her way to her bedroom door, opening it just a crack to hear better._

_"That's not the point, Colt! We have rules and you're-"_

_"It's not that big of a deal, I brought the car back, didn't I? I don't understand why-"_

_"It _is_ a big deal, this is our house and our rules-"_

_"Oh that's right, I forgot, you're just doing Sav and me a big favor by letting us live here."_

_"Colt, that's not fair-"_

_"Life ain't fair! Or hadn't you noticed?" _

_A loud banging noise made Savannah's trip-hammering heart skip a beat and jump nearly out of her skin. _

_Without another thought she had thrown open her bedroom door and was racing down the hall, taking the stairs two at a time and skidding into the kitchen. _

_"Don't touch him!" She screamed, looking wildly between the two men._

_Colt and their Uncle Bill, a mountain of a man with thick dark hair and blue eyes that matched Colts', both turned to look at her. _

_Savannah__'s eyes locked onto her uncle and she took a small step forward. "If you hurt him, I'll kill you," she whispered._

_Bill's eyes widened and Colt took a step forward, raising his hands. _

_"We're just arguing, Savvy," he said, quietly, "no one's hurtin' anybody."_

_Bill recovered from his shock at the implication and glanced between them both. "Savannah, I would never hurt Colt. I would never lay a hand on either of you." _

_Savannah__ blinked and drew her eyebrows together, the tension in the room suddenly suffocating. _

_Colt continued in the same voice he used when trying to calm a spooked filly and watched as the fear and bravado glaze slowly melted away from Savannah's eyes._

_ "I slammed the cupboard door, Sav. That's all. Bill didn't-" He stopped when Savannah suddenly took off, disappearing just as suddenly as she'd come. _

_Bill took a step to go after her. _

_"Maybe I should-"_

_Colt's hand shot out and grabbed his Uncle's shoulder. _

_"No. I got this." Colt muttered. Bill glanced at him quickly, but nodded. _

_"You usually do where Savannah is concerned." _

_Colt found her in her bedroom, sitting with her back to the door and staring out the large picture window that looked out on the pastures behind the house. On the other side just peaking above the hilltop they could see the roof of Willie Martin's stables. _

_"Savannah?" He said quietly, announcing his presence as he came into the room. Just like him, his sister didn't like for people to sneak up on her. _

_When she didn't respond, he continued. "You know he'd never hurt me, right?" _

_"Yeah, I know," she nodded, keeping her back to him. _

_Colt made a face at the condition of her bedroom as he walked toward her, Savannah had definitely not inherited his penchant for tidiness, but his face softened again as he sat down beside her. _

_"And you know he'd never hurt you?" _

_She nodded again and sniffed, swiping a hand across her face. He hadn't realized she was crying._

_Colt reached up to push her hair out of her face gently and she shifted minutely toward him before looking up, eyes red and bright._

_ "I'm messed up forever, aren't I, 45?" _

_He drew his eyebrows together, and tossed his hair out of his eyes, a move that would have his Aunt threatening him with a haircut in no time. _

_"What are you talking about?" He asked, "there's nothing wrong with you, Savannah." _

_She shook her head, pulling away from his touch._

_ "Yes there is!" She shot up from the bed so that she was a few inches taller than him, suddenly hysterical, "I'm almost thirteen and sometimes I still see his face. And when I heard you down there, yelling and arguing and then I heard that bang…" she shook her head again, gasping for breath while tears flowed down her cheeks unnoticed, "all I could think was that he was hurting you. Even though I _know_ he wouldn't," she was trembling and turning red, and Colt could feel panic tickling the edges of his mind. _

_"Savannah, calm down-"_

_"I still couldn't think!" she shouted over him, and the anguish on her young face ripped his heart in two, "It's been almost four years, Colt. I'm never gonna be okay." The words crumbled and she fell apart sobbing. He didn't hesitate, reaching out to pull her toward him, folding her into his chest. _

_Savannah__ remained limp in his arms, sobbing so hard he was afraid she wouldn't be able to breathe, properly. _

_"Never gonna be okay. Never okay. Never." She continued muttering into his chest, shuddering and shivering in his arms. Colt felt tears sting his eyes and lowered his face to her hair._

_"Not true, Savannah. You're gonna be fine. We're both gonna be just fine."_

_His words seemed to make her sobs deepen, wracking her whole body until he had to shift to the floor and pull her into his lap to keep from dropping her. She curled into a tight ball and he tightened his arms around her, afraid he was all that was holding the small child together and terrified it wasn't going to be enough._

oooOOOooo

"So, what'd I miss?" Parker asked, plopping down on the couch beside Sophie. She looked up at the screen and exclaimed, "Sterling? What-I've been gone for like five minutes."

Her outburst went mostly ignored. Nate had his eyes on Eliot, tracking him as he paced back and forth in front of the windows.

Sophie and Hardison's eyes were still locked on the screen.

"I can't believe Sterling would do something like this," Sophie said, sounding angry, hurt and just a little bit lost, "go after a family. A child. For what? Us?"

"_I _can't believe he thinks Savannah is sleeping with her brother," Hardison shuddered.

That earned a growl from Eliot and Nate wisely remained seated, but took note of every tense, jerky movement the hitter made. He knew they were walking a very precarious line of Eliot's control.

"Eliot, I need you to stay calm," Nate said, keeping his tone even, like talking to a caged animal. Eliot did remind him a bit of an angry lion in a cage in that moment.

"I am as calm as I'm gonna get, Nate," this hitter snapped, still pacing. "I can't believe that son of a bitch. When I get my hands on him-"

"When _we _get there, we'll do what's best for all of us. Logan included." His eyes skipped over to where the boy was working on a 500 piece puzzle at the table. He was the reason Hardison had shrunk the camera feed down to just one screen, the only one hidden from view from the table.

"Sterling's still a member of Interpol, Eliot. Our best bet is to get evidence of his extracurricular activities and turn him over. If we try to come at him straight, if we hurt him in any way, we're going to have cops from ten countries after us the morning."

Eliot shook his head, "don't care. I want him dead."

Parker nodded her agreement and Nate sent her a sideways glance.

"Look Eliot, I know you want him to pay. We all do. But don't go off the rails on me now."

Eliot stopped, his back to them, his shoulders heaving and fists clenched.

"So what's the plan?" He asked when he could do it without picturing snapping Sterlings' neck.

Nate shifted to look at the screens, "same as before. We're taking him down."

Upon hearing his words a slow grin spread across everyone's face.

"Savannah, this is what I want you to say."

oooOOOooo

"Hey, uh, do me a fava' will you?" Savannah called out just as Sterling started to leave.

He paused, then turned back to face her.

"And what's that?" He asked, almost looking intrigued.

Savannah leaned forward as much as her bindings would allow and gave a small, cold smile.

"When he kills you," she dipped her chin and lowered her voice conspiratorially, "promise to scream loud enough for me to hea'?"

Sterling chuckled. "Kills me? You think I'm afraid of Eliot Spencer?"

Savannah smiled and then laughed outright, causing the two thugs to exchange confused looks while Sterling's eyes only narrowed.

"Eliot?" She shook her head, "oh, you wish it was Eliot."

Sterling titled his head, "well, who then?"

She smiled darkly, then turned serious. "The name Damien Moreau ring any bells?"

_TBC_


	8. Enjoy the Show

**A/N: **It's 103 degrees out and 50% humidity. I had to drive across town twice to get to a computer with Word07 that i could use. Everyone at this library smells like BO. But I'm here. And I'm posting. You know why? Because i love you. Yes. Each and every one of you crazy little grifter fanfic peeps of mine. Now, love me back and review! Oh, and Enjoy too, haha. ;-P -pj

* * *

**Chapte Eight – Enjoy the Show**

Sterling froze. Mid sentence, mid movement, mid breath.

Savannah kept the smile on her face calm and cold.

"I'm guessin' that's a 'yes'."

He narrowed his eyes and took a single step back into the room, not looking nearly as casual as he wanted.

"What do you know about Damien Meraux?"

Savannah leaned back again in her chair with another one of her small, condescending smiles.

"Only as much as any father would tell his daughter." She lied smoothly. Sterling's face went from shock to disbelief to suspicion much quicker than she expected as he processed the information.

Sterling struggled with what to say next, the muscles working beneath the skin of his jaw, hands fisted in his pockets. Wanting to ask, but not wanting to give her the leverage in the conversation.

"I'll go verify this new…development," he said finally, his voice coolly congenial. "In the meantime," he whapped his hand against the play button on the television and stalked out of the room. "Enjoy the show."

oooOOOooo

_~Enjoy the show.~_

Eliot's eyes narrowed just slightly when he heard Sterling's parting words and he listened for the reactions of Nate and Hardison, who were still back at the offices watching the video feeds.

When after several seconds he still hadn't heard anything, he turned to look at Sophie, sitting a few yards away in a darkened parking lot in her shiny black town car. She shrugged, telling him she didn't hear anything either.

"Hey, guys. What's on the tape?" He growled finally. Impatient. He wanted this to be done.

Hardison sputtered for a few moments, trying to decide what to say, but Nate stepped in.

_~Nothing. Some old grainy footage, we can't even see it from her.~_ Nate cleared his throat and continued quickly, a sure sign he was lying. ~_Just stick to the plan, alright Eliot? You're up.~_

Eliot growled, disliking being left in the dark, but revved his bike's engine anyway. He nodded shortly to the dark sedan.

"Gimme two minutes, Soph. I'm goin' in hot."

oooOOOooo

There was a click when Eliot took his com off mute after dismounting his bike and Sophie listened to the silence of him sneaking into the building.

The sounds of bloodshed and carnage when he ran into thugs dropped in suddenly, doing nothing for her stomach, which was still tied in knots from what Nate had told her was on the video.

The grunts and growls coming from the hitter seemed a little more exuberant than usual and Sophie wondered briefly if he wouldn't abandon the entire thing and go after Savannah solo.

_~Easy Eliot, leave 'em in one piece.~_ Nate's voice came over the line. Apparently she wasn't the only one who'd noticed Eliot's enthusiasm.

There was a grunt that could've been an acknowledgment or a blow to the sternum and Nate sighed audibly.

_~Sophie, you got eyes on Sterling?~_

"Not yet," she said, sounding unhappy with the news scanning the outside building and surrounding parking lot.

_~Well, we can't afford to wait any longer. Go.~_

oooOOOooo

_Colt held the closet door open barely an inch. Large enough to see through the crack and spot his step father standing in the kitchen, screaming at his mother. _

_She looked alright for the most part, crying and favoring one arm, but conscious. _

_Usually he tried not to let Frank get near his mother _or_ Savannah. But he was still hurt too badly from two nights ago to get into it with his step-father, and Savannah was his priority. His mother had chosen this. _

_He and Savannah hadn't. _

_And Savannah landed in the crossfire the other night, the bruise was still fading on her cheek, and he wasn't about to leave her._

_Colt sighed and sat back, shutting the door without making a sound and snuggling back next to Savannah, shoving their winter boots to one side and rearranging the coats so they would not easily be seen if the door was thrown opened. _

_"Looks like we're stuck here for the night."_

_Savannah 'hmm'ed in response and then, "Guess what, 45?" _

_He looked over at her, the glow of the flashlight on the white pages of her precious book illuminated their faces enough to see and he raised his eyebrows expectantly. _

_"What?" _

_"I know what I want to be when I grow up." She said, smiling a toothless grin. _

_Colt's stomach clenched briefly, remembering the stab of panic he'd felt when he got home late one afternoon to see her bleeding from the mouth and missing a tooth. And then the knee-buckling relief that washed over him when he realized she'd done it to herself. _

_"What's that?" He asked, raising an arm to wrap around her shoulders. _

_Savannah fished a pair of butterscotch candies out of her pocket and handed him one. _

_"You." _

_Colt nearly choked on the hard candy and tried not to cough. _

_"What?" _

_"I wanna be just like you." _

_He sighed heavily and closed his eyes. Even at eleven the thought pained him. Because all he'd ever known was **'**protect' and 'pain' and he didn't think that would ever end. He didn't want that for Savannah._

_"Nah, you don't want to do that." He said quietly, careful to make his tone say 'that's not cool enough' and not 'that's dangerous and scares the crap outta me'. _

_"Well what do you think I should do?" she asked, having difficulty whispering around her candy._

_He could hear the pout in her tone and tugged on one of her long blonde pigtails playfully. _

_"I think you should help people. People like us." _

_Savannah looked up at him, frowning in confusion._

_"You want me to build bigger closets?" _

_This time Eliot choked trying not to laugh out loud and spit out the candy. Sometimes he forgot she was only six._

_"No Sav," he said when he could do so quietly, "I mean like…like a social worker." He cringed a little at that thought and changed his mind. One of his ribs protested movement and he bit his lip, squeezing his eyes shut._

_"Or maybe a doctor."He gasped out**.**_

_Savannah remained oblivious to her brother's discomfort in the darkness and thought about his suggestion for a moment. _

_"I don't know what a Social Worker does," she sucked loudly on her candy and Colt tensed up and pinched her arm to remind her to be quiet. _

_Savannah pinched him back out of spite and he ignored it, trying to find a way to stretch his legs in the cramped space. Maybe bigger closets wasn't such a bad idea. _

_"So be a doctor then."_

_Savannah tapped her small fingers against her book. _

_"Okay." _

_Colt nodded, satisfied, and planted one foot against the opposite corner, giving his knees and hips some relief. Savannah shifted to give him a bit more room, but Colt tightened his arm around her to keep her close. _

_"You're gonna hafta study really hard in school, okay? Learn all about the body and science and math," his tone softened a bit in a way that he knew made Savannah sleepy, his 'reading' voice, and she predictably laid her head against his shoulder. _

_"You'll get really good grades in high school and go to a good college and become the best doctor there is," he reached up to pull down a coat and draped it across them both, continuing to talk until he heard her breathing even out. _

_Colt closed his eyes. "Love you Savvy." _

_He was surprised when, a moment later, Savannah curled in tighter to him and whispered back. "Love you too 45."_

oooOOOooo

"Oiy! What do you think you're doin'?"

A loud, feminine, decidedly pissed voice sliced through the chaos Eliot had created and he whirled around, along with every other man in the room who was still conscious.

Which, granted, wasn't many.

The thug he had by the collar started to squirm and Eliot growled upon seeing Sophie's glare, and threw the man away from him, then nonchalantly ran his fingers through his hair.

"What?" he snapped, pretending all his attention was on Sophie, dressed in tight black leather and a lush red overcoat, she was in perfect grifting form.

She narrowed her eyes at him, the rest of the men in the room confused by the interruption and the fact that she seemed to be ignoring their presence completely.

"He said not to come in yet." Her accent sharp and just a little bit thicker than her normal one.

"But Savannah-" he started, heaving and sweaty from the exertion of fighting multiple attacks at once.

"Savannah will be taken care of," she cut Eliot off, now standing toe-to-toe with him. Finally, she seemed to notice that they were not alone, when the man Eliot had just finished with started to groan at their feet, coming back around to consciousness. She rolled her eyes, and gave him a good swift kick in the ribs that sent him reeling.

That seemed to bring the rest of the men out of their stupor and anyone left armed brought their guns up and trained them on Sophie.

She dropped her hands casually into her pockets, an unimpressed scowl on her face.

"Oh, put your guns down. If we wanted you dead you'd be dead already."

One of the men, he was bleeding from his mouth so Sophie knew he'd already gone a round, sniffed at her and glanced at Eliot.

"He ain't that good."

Sophie raised her eyebrows, turning to face the speaker fully. She almost looked amused. Eliot took up his customary intimidating stance behind her, folding his arms across his broad chest and doing that _thing _with his eyes.

"Ha! And are you willing to bet your life on that?" Her eyes turned cold and Sophie tilted her head, all of the humor leaving her face as she raised her hand as if to snap her fingers, "because it doesn't even take a word."

The man was still giving her a weary look, but after a moment, he slowly moved to put his gun on the floor, the rest of the thugs following his lead.

"So, what do you want?"

Sophie sighed, sliding her hands into the pockets of her jacket.

"We're here to take care of a personnel problem," she said, all business, "our personnel, your problem."

The man hesitated and the rest of the group seemed content to let him speak for them.

"Who are you?"

Sophie gave him a look like she was making sure he was worth the time it took to tell him.

"Name's Annie Kroix," she sighed impatiently, "look, Damien is on his way and he's not gonna be happy if you lot haven't let Savannah go by then."

"Damien as in…"

Sophie sighed, placing a hand on her hip, looking impatient.

"As in exactly who you think." She paused for effect and then turned to face a different man. He was tall, almost 6'6'' with blonde hair and a scar down his cheek.

"Daniel Moore. Thirty four. Mother Janine, father Michael. Born and raised in Philadelphia where your parents still live. Your younger sister just finished her first year of art school." She ignored the look of shock on the man's face and turned to his companion, also tall but with dark hair and dark brown eyes.

"Sal Monroe adopted at age seven by Kathy. Older brother Francis who lives in Spain working for a computer company. Niece Carol is dating an exchange student from London," she rattled off the information as quickly as Hardison fed it to her, making sure to look each person in the eye as she did so. She turned to the man who'd been speaking earlier.

"Ramon Fletcher, from Brazil, your grandmother knits lovely tapestries," she sighed, the tension in the room had tripled and Eliot relaxed only marginally when she swaggered back over to stand beside him, outside of arms reach of the other men.

"I could go on," she waved her hand, "but I think you get the point. Now, I got all this information in an hour. Just _imagine_ what I could do in two."

She raised her eyebrows and the underlying threat of her tone was more chilling than if she'd held a gun to their heads. "Leave. Now. If not for your own sakes then for that of your families and friends. Or, stay, follow this Sterling," she spat the name derisively, "fellow whom you know nothing about. Our concern is not with you. It's with him."

The men started to exchange nervous glances and Sophie hid a satisfied smirk as the majority of them slowly started to drain from the room, leaving only four unconscious bodies and a hardened criminal of a man with cold grey eyes.

"You don't scare me _Annie_," he mocked, coming toward her. Overtly, Eliot stepped in front of her.

He smirked. "What about me?"

Sophie cringed and looked away.

oooOOOooo

Hardison, Nate and Parker all wore equally pained looks on their faces as they listened to Eliot's fight over the com.

"Damn." The hacker hissed under his breath.

"Hey Eliot," Parker bounced on the couch, never having quite mastered the art of going silent when Eliot fought so he could concentrate, "didja get to hit Sterling yet?"

The sounds of smacking flesh and grunts of pain died away and Eliot's loud breathing replaced it.

_~No," _he said finally_, "haven't even seen him yet.~_

_~Yeah, that is odd, isn't…~_

Sophie was cut off by a loud but distant banging coming across the coms. A _very distinctive _bang.

Hardison's brow furrowed intensely.

"Was that-"

"Parker," Eliot barked, "did you replace all of the goon's guns with sabotaged ones?"

Nate looked over, the theif looked like a deer caught in headlights and he felt his heart rate speeding up to be in time with Eliot's pounding footsteps.

"I-I think so, Eliot but they were moving around too much, I can't be certain."

The fact that Eliot didn't even bother to curse at her could not be seen as a good sign.

_TBC _


	9. Swore You Would Never Know

**A/N:** UUUUPDDDAATTTEE! Lol. It's finally here! HUGE thanks to my beta **_vickyloka _**for catching my mistakes and thanks to all of you who have been reading and reviewing and loving every minute of it (I know I have). Ordinarily the flashback isn't meant to have any corelation to the chapter, just a peek into their lives as kids and what made them who they are, but this time it does, so pay attention to that, it goes with the title too. Um, I think that's it, Enjoy! -pj

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**Chapter Nine – Swore You Would Never Know

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_"Parker, did you replace all the guns with sabotaged ones?" _

_"I-I think so, Eliot, but they were moving around too much..I can't be sure."

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_

Eliot ran full speed down the narrow winding hallways of the building. He'd memorized the layout Hardison gave him so as to know the quickest way to Savannah if things went South.

He'd been praying things stayed far, far North.

His boots pounded the concrete in a way he usually wouldn't allow, instinct was to be as silent as possible, always. Sophie's heel's clicked behind him, but were falling further and further back the closer he drew to the room with Savannah.

Hardison was babbling in his ear explaining why he couldn't get a visual on Savannah's button cam, but Eliot had tuned him out enough to know only that his sister hadn't left the room and that Hardison sounded about as worried as he felt.

And if he'd had an ounce of attention to spare he would have thought that odd.

"Savannah," he called out as he rounded the last corner. He barely noticed when a straggling thug popped out in front of him when he got to the door, only reacted enough to knock him flat without even breaking his stride.

"Savannah!" He said again, throwing his shoulder against the locked metal door with all the force he had. The door didn't budge and Eliot cursed out loud. His head was pounding and his palms sweaty.

Why wouldn't she just _answer _him?

Eliot was vaguely aware of Sophie catching up, stepping over the unconscious body of the man he'd knocked out, as he took a step back from the door and threw his leg up to kick right beside the doorknob.

The door flew open to reveal the small, cement block room that Eliot recognized from the video feeds. But his heart froze in his chest and his knees threatened to buckle like they hadn't since he was a kid trying to protect his sister under his bed when he saw the chair in the middle of the room was empty.

"Savannah," he said again, not even masking the desperation in his tone as he spotted a drop of blood on the floor near his shoe. He swallowed hard and took a step into the room, his previous nervous energy exchanged for terrified trepidation.

He felt Sophie's hand on his arm and nearly jerked away, he felt like he was buzzing. He just needed to see her, needed to know…

In the corner of his eye Eliot saw a man's dress shoe, connected to a leg, and he frowned, coming a little further in to the room to see around the metal table along the wall. The man was dressed in the same grey suit Sterling had been wearing earlier.

"Savannah what's-" he stopped, because he had no idea how to finish that question.

There, in the corner, Eliot found Sterling laying prone on the cold cement floor, blood seeping slowly from a bullet wound to his leg, keeping stock still as Savannah, his baby sister, the doctor, the one who helped people, pressed a black Glock to the man's temple.

She didn't even look up when he said her name, but bent lower over Sterling's face, griding the barrel of the gun up against his jaw.

"You listen to me," her voice was so low it barely carried, and if Eliot could see her face he was sure he'd understand the flicker of fear that crossed Sterlings', "If you eva' come near me or my son _ever _again," she let her finger tickle the trigger just slightly and leaned forward a bit more, dropping her voice to a whisper, "and I will make sure you find a bullet between your eyes. And believe me, I have the motivation and the connections to make that happen."

Savannah knew Eliot and probably a host of other people were standing somewhere behind her. She knew it shouldn't feel so good, shouldn't be so easy, to threaten a man's life.

But all she could see was the look of fear on Logan's face when he saw those men grab her in their apartment. And all she could hear was Eliot's voice in her head, all those years ago, in a dark closet where she'd spent her childhood, telling her not to be afraid.

Well she wasn't anymore.

Savannah leaned in closer and tilted her head, cocking the gun and Eliot took a half step forward, but stayed quiet.

"Do I make myself clear mister Sterling?" She asked. After a moment Sterling nodded.

"Crystal." Came his gravelly answer.

Savannah nodded.

"Good. Now there's one more thing you should know, Mr. Sterling," she said and drew her hand back, only to slam it back down on the side of his head, knocking him out cold. "_Never_ mess with family."

Eliot winced slightly at the sound and stepped forward, taking the weapon from her with one hand and helping her up with the other.

He handed the thing to Sophie, not even giving it the time it took to take out the magazine and toss it aside as he gathered his sister up into his arms, letting out the breath he'd been holding.

Savannah wrapped her arms around him and closed her eyes, allowing the stress of the day to catch up with her long enough to catch her breath, before pushing it back down again.

Eliot pulled away, putting his hands on either side of her face.

"You okay?" He asked seriously.

Savannah nodded immediately and asked him back, out of habit, "_you_ okay?"

Eliot smiled, nodding, his eyes checking her for any visible injuries.

"Yeah."

Savannah reached up and ran ginger fingers across a bump on his forehead near his hairline.

"I'm gonna have to check that out when we get back.

Eliot smiled crookedly, "just like old times, huh?"

Savannah shook her head with a similar rueful grin, remembering too many quiet evenings spent in his bedroom, poring over her stolen library book looking for information on how to treat one injury or another.

She shook her head, and bent over for a small device on the ground. Her button cam.

"Came off when I got myself loose from the chair." She told Eliot by way of explanation, then held it up so it was facing her and pressed a finger to her ear.

"I'm fine Hardison," she smiled, "now please, remember to breathe."

Eliot shook his head at the relieved chatter from the hacker and they both turned to look at Sophie, who'd been busying herself in setting up the laptop Hardison had prepared for them on the metal table.

_~Glad to hear it Savannah,~_ Nate's voice came across the coms and they all perked up, waiting for instructions, _~Now Sterling into position and get the hell out of there.~_

"I'm almost finished here," Sophie announced, bringing something up on the laptop screen.

"Alright," Eliot turned around and lugged Sterling's unconscious frame up onto his shoulder, only to drop him unceremoniously into the chair Savannah had been occupying before two steps later.

Savannah fastened Sterlings wrists and legs to the chair and stood up, smiling.

"Our work here is done."

Eliot nodded, ruffling his sister's hair playfully.

_~Yes it is and the police are on their way so lets get a move on there people.~_ Hardison's voice came over in their ears again.

All three of them nodded and started toward the door and Savannah and Sophie had made it almost to the back door before they realized they were missing someone.

"Where's Eliot?"

Savannah turned around. Sure enough, the hitter was nowhere to be seen.

"Shit! I think he's still in the room." Savannah's eyes widened and they locked with the grifter's, "the tape."

Sophie's jaw dropped slightly in understanding.

_~Dammit Eliot!~_

_~This is bad. The cops are on their way inside! What could he possibly be doing in there?~ _Parker asked, sounding unusually emotive, if not a bit worried.

Sophie looked torn and started back the way they'd come.

"I'll go."

Savannah shook her head, grabbing the grifter's wrist.

"No, I know what's bothering him, I'll go."

Sophie looked uncertain, and Savannah was reminded again that, in her absence, Sophie and Parker had become as much of sisters to Eliot as she was.

Still, she may not have known him as well as they did now, but she'd known him longer.

"Please Sophie, I got this. I promise."

Sophie hesitated and then nodded, jogging backwards toward the door.

"You better make it to Nate's. Two minutes before the cops get in here."

Savannah nodded, turning back the way she'd come, calling out over her shoulder, "we'll be there!"

oooOOOooo

_Colt sat clutching his rifle, sweat pouring into his eyes and down his neck. He would have been uncomfortable with the feeling of dirt and sweat but couldn't honestly remember feeling any other way._

_He crouched, huddled with his back against the wall in the middle of a warzone. He wasn't even sure which war it was anymore, they'd all started to blur into one long nightmare of pain and death. _

_He was in a semi-defensible spot on the second floor of an abandoned house in the center of a town he couldn't remember the name of. He'd been fighting alongside a dozen other guys from his unit for nearly 8 hours straight, since they'd taken up shelter in the house when their convey was destroyed by a couple roadside bombs. Some of them were dead; they'd stopped groaning a while ago, some were falling asleep or into shock. He wanted to help them, but was having a hard enough time keeping himself alive. _

_There was still the constant reverberation of gunfire outside and he quietly recited the types of guns he could identify, convinced that was less insane than talking to himself. Every now and then the dead night sky was lit up like day by explosions. _

_He wasn't sure what day or month it was, they'd lost contact with base a long time ago. All the languages he knew had started to blur together in his mind and he found himself thinking that might have something to do with the near constant buzzing and throbbing he'd had in his head for the past…while. _

_Colt blinked into the flash of white that lit up the street and flailed out for a handhold when the building rocked. They were close. Too close. Undoubtedly his hideout was now teeming with unfriendlies and he knew if they found him they would make him wish he was dead. _

_Problem was, he already did. And maybe it would be best to just lay there and join the silent corpses of his comrades before the enemy got the chance._

_Something outside was set on fire, illuminating the entire room with glowing orange and he glanced around, able to see for the first time. _

_In another time, another life, before the war had torn this country apart this house had been a home. Colt could see broken pictures still in their frames laying against the wall and ornate tea cups shattered on the ground. _

_And there, in the corner, he caught sight of the porcelain face of a dark haired doll, somehow untouched from the violence that surrounded it. _

_Unbidden, Colt was hit with a memory of his younger sister, Savannah, the last time he saw her. _

_She'd been fourteen, though he had no idea now how long ago that had been._

_She was playing on a tire swing in their uncle's back yard. He'd asked her if she wanted to go for a ride as he brought their horses out of the barn. Savannah had laughed. Something he said was funny and she laughed a deep, happy laugh that seemed to come easy to her. She ran full speed toward him, hair an unruly blonde mess flowing behind her, red cowboy boots that she knew he hated and therefore delighted in wearing kicking up dust in her wake. The sky had been a golden shade of orange when they returned and the fireflies had danced contentedly on the muggy summer air. Colt remembered telling her that night he was going to join the Army and that he might not be back for a while. _

_Savannah__ had accepted the news with a maturity beyond her years and said she was okay with it, as long as he promised to come back. _

_Another explosion rocked the building, this time sending Colt toppling over to one side and back into the present. _

_In that moment he knew he couldn't just give up and die there in some god forsaken land where no one would find his body. He would be MIA presumed dead and he would have broken the last promise he ever made to his baby sister. _

_He swore to himself he would do whatever it took to get out alive. Break whatever necks, spill whatever blood, endure whatever pain and horror it took to get back to the green zone. Back to Savannah. _

_And in the same breath he swore he would never allow his baby sister to know the horror his life had become. _

oooOOOooo

Eliot hadn't needed long to look at the tv to recognize it. Only a glance in his peripheral vision and he'd known.

The vision of it had been burned into his memory. The pain, the sweat. The stench of hunger and death on the air. He'd been desperate then and barely human. They'd taken that from him. Survival was all he had.

He couldn't even remember specifically who they were now. Just like he couldn't remember fighting his way out. Remembered being as close to out of control as he'd ever been. Scarred and half naked, dirty and bleeding. Spitting blood and more than willing to make others bleed if it meant making them stop hurting him.

He hadn't realized there'd been security footage of it, grainy and silent though it was. It was obvious that it was him.

_This _was what Nate hadn't wanted to tell him. What they'd all seen.

Including Savannah.

Eliot turned around to face Sterling's still unconscious form. His hands had formed fists at his sides and his body was so rigid with tension he couldn't actually move toward the man yet.

He just stared nostrils flared and blood boiling in his chest.

There was a soft click behind him and the sound of a tape being ejected.

"Eliot." Savannah took the tape and stayed standing near the door. She hadn't seen that look on her brother's face since…well she wasn't sure she'd ever seen that look on his face.

And that frightened her more than she expected.

"Eliot please, we have to go."

When he showed no sign of hearing her, Savannah took a small step forward, but refrained from touching him.

"Colt," she tried, this time earning a small jerk of his head, turning slightly back toward her, "Colt, listen to me. You're my brother, okay? And I love you. Nothing on this earth, nothing I could hear or _see _is ever gonna change that. Lets just go." She said, begging shamelessly.

Eliot took a deep breath, letting it out in a slow, controlled ten-count.

"He deserves to die for this."

Savannah nodded immediately, "I know he does. But not by us. Not today" She came up to stand beside him.

"The police are in the building." She relayed Hardison's message from her com, unsure if Eliot was still wearing his, or if he was just ignoring it.

Eliot still didn't move and she slowly reached out to take his hand, tugging him back toward the door.

"I'm not leaving without you, okay? So either you come with me, or we _both_ go to jail."

Eliot took another deep breath, growled at Sterling's unconscious form once more and turned to the door.

"Let's go." He said, dragging Savannah out behind him as if it had been his idea all along.

_TBC _


End file.
